April 18, 2010
Easter Sunday was two weeks ago. We celebrated the new life we have in Jesus Christ. Because Jesus died and rose again, we too shall die and rise again. And we are alive now in Christ. After two weeks, are we still living in that Easter Gospel hope, or have we slipped back to our old selves? During Lent, many people try to do some sort of Lenten fast, giving up something to eat or something to do. At Easter, we hear that we have a new life in Jesus; so many people try to change their lives, taking the power of the resurrection to give themselves power to change their lives; perhaps to start something new or to stop some bad habit or sin. It is like a New Year's resolution. And like a New Year's resolution, most people give up and go back to their old habits. It can be frustrating. Every Sunday morning at the beginning of the worship service, we have the confession of sins and the absolution. We confess we are sinners and want to do better, but we find we are in the same place on the next Sunday morning confessing the same sins and faults and short-comings. I wonder why we do not just simply give up. What gives us the hope to carry on? Where do we Christians find strength in our weakness? How can we sinners survive?
It seems like the Disciple Peter had given up. "I am going fishing," he said. He seemed to be giving up the job of being an evangelist - apostle. He seems to be going back to his old job of being a fisherman. Previously, Jesus had always been with his disciples. They traveled together, they ate together, they prayed together, they worked together to speak the Gospel to big crowds of people. But after the resurrection, Jesus did not appear before the big crowds, he did not even stay with the disciples all the time as before. Maybe it would not have been safe for the disciples if he had, because surely the authorities would want to arrest Jesus again and crucify him again! The life of the disciples had changed. They had been given the mission to preach the Gospel, but they felt powerless to do so. They were just sitting around doing nothing. A restless man like Peter was probably bored. And perhaps the money was growing short. And maybe Peter did not like the big city of Jerusalem and was getting homesick for his hometown in Galilee. "I am going fishing," he said. Some of the other disciples thought this was a good idea, "We will go with you," they said.
And so they went off fishing to Lake Galilee. They fished at night, which is how many commercial fishermen do it. They fished till daybreak, but caught nothing. Maybe Peter was a professional fisherman, but in the New Testament, he never catches a fish without the help of Jesus. There are a number of miraculous catches of fish, otherwise Peter never catches anything.
When Jesus first called Peter he said, "I will make you fishers of men." In that case, Peter was trying to catch the wrong thing. He should be catching people. And of course like fishing, Peter cannot do that unless he is helped by the Holy Spirit. Then there is a miraculous catch of people, like on Pentecost when 3000 people in Jerusalem were baptized.
Then, in today's Gospel reading, Jesus gives Peter yet another job. Not just as a fisher of men, but as a shepherd. He is told to feed the sheep of Jesus. And this Peter will do in the months and years ahead as he leads and cares for the church of Jesus.
Just a few days after this Gospel reading, Jesus will ascend into heaven and then on Pentecost he will send the Holy Spirit. And so Peter has a new job, and he has the power and guidance to do that work. Peter will become a faithful worker for Jesus, an apostle, an ambassador of the Kingdom of God, a catcher of men, a shepherd.
And the motivation that Peter had was the same that drives us Christians. In our baptism we have been given the mission of Jesus. In faith we have the Holy Spirit. This is the hope we have. Our sins are forgiven. They have been forgiven, and they will be forgiven again. We have assurance in that because Jesus forgave Peter. Three times he asked Peter if he loved him, and three times Peter said he did. Then three times Jesus said "Feed my sheep." Complete forgiveness and complete trust. This is why we Christians do not give up. We know the forgiveness and love of Jesus, so we have the hope to carry on. In the death and resurrection of Jesus we find the strength of Jesus for our lives. That is how we sinners survive.
When it seems in our lives that our nets are empty, Jesus calls to us. When we are tired and frustrated, Jesus sends a miracle to give us a sign of his love. He feeds us with his body and blood in the sacrament. He places us in his flock of other Christians. This is the life of a Christian: it is living as if every day is Easter. It is living because every day is Easter!
Amen.
Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church