Third Sunday of Easter

April 17-18, 2010

“Going Fishing”

John 21:1-14

Grace, love, joy and peace be unto you from God our heavenly Father, through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

“When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.’ So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn.”

We have a fish story in our Gospel lesson today; but not the usual tale of the one that got away. Here, no fish gets away, and we even find some extra ones on the fire. I have to admit, I’m not much of a fisherman. I’ve spent enough time on boats, sitting in the hot sun and not catching anything, that I just don’t do it much anymore. There are other ways to get a sunburn. But the disciples in our text today are different. There are seven of them in the boat, and they fish all night and catch nothing. It’s not the first time this has happened; it’s similar to the situation when Jesus first called some of them to be disciples. That time, Jesus instructed them to go back out again after His sermon, and they caught a huge amount of fish.

Now, there are some differences in the stories. The earlier time was when they first met Jesus. They caught so many fish, the nets began to break, and they had to call for other boats to come and help. Afterwards, Peter confessed to Jesus that he was a sinner, and asked Jesus to leave him. Instead, he became a disciple. This time, when Jesus called for them to put their nets down on the other side of the boat, they again caught so many fish that they couldn’t haul them in; but the nets did not break this time. So what do we learn from this? Jesus once told a parable about the kingdom of heaven being like a net that was dragged through the lake and caught all kinds of fish. He referred to His disciples as “fishers of men.” Through this miracle, it is as if Jesus is saying, “You will continue to fish for others by all that I have taught you, so that they, too, come into my kingdom.” God would send Peter, James, John, and the others far and wide throughout the known world, dragging the net that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

And this is still today the mission of God’s Church. No church, no congregation exists just for itself. Certainly, part of the Church’s calling is to care for the strengthen those who are within it, which is why it is so important for believers to come to worship, and be fed with the Word and Sacraments. We hear of God’s grace and forgiveness for us in the Word, the grace that comes to us by virtue of our baptismal identity, and we are nourished at the Lord’s Table with the very body and blood of Christ for our forgiveness, life and salvation. But we don’t stay here. We live our lives out there, being in the world but not of it. This is why the last portion of the divine service is called the Sending, when we hear the Benediction and are told to “Go in peace and serve the Lord.” It’s called the Sending, because we are sent out as the people of God into the world. So the work of the Church is also to bring more fish into the net through the preaching and teaching of the Gospel. And this, by the way, is an important reason why our congregation is part of a larger church body, a synod. We are part of a large body of congregations working together as witnesses to the good news, training and supporting missionaries, and pastors, and working for all to be equipped for the mission of the Church. We all pull on the net together.

When Peter saw how many fish were in the net that day, he recognized it as an act of God. He confessed his faith by saying, “It is the Lord!” He couldn’t wait to see Jesus, so much so that he jumped out of the boat and swam ashore. Of course, before he jumped out, he put all his clothes on, and then went swimming. That might seem strange, but it’s not, really. He wanted to be presentable before Jesus, and when you realize who you’re fishing for, everything you do is important.

As people of the resurrection, the realization that Jesus is alive after everything He went through for us on the cross should bring us to the same conclusion. God has placed us where we are in this life that we might serve Him here with the gifts and abilities He has given us. He gives us this life to live, with a group of people to love us and give us support, not just in your family at home, but in your church family as well. As I’ve said before, blood runs thicker than water, the saying goes, but nothing runs thicker and binds us together stronger than baptismal water. And knowing that, we see that our homes, our families, our friends, the people who live near us and work with us are the fish. God has placed the good news inside us by faith; the good news of how Jesus defeated sin and death by His own death and resurrection. This is the net of the Gospel we are given to fish with.

Of course, the sad truth is, most of the time we don’t see ourselves as fishermen. How many times have we all missed the opportunity to tell the good news about Jesus? It’s so easy for us to forget who we are, and why we are in this world. We are not meant to see life merely as drudgery, working, loafing, avoiding discomfort. We are not meant to just take life easy and stay in the boat where it’s safe. We, too, are to jump into the water, so to speak, to live our lives in the best way so as to serve God in all that we do. As St. Paul writes in the third chapter of Colossians, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

God has placed us here, in the richest country the world has ever known, for a reason. He has blessed us with a level of education unheard of in many parts of the world, the most disposable wealth, the greatest technology, and the most freedom any society has ever known, for a very important reason. It is not merely to serve ourselves, and be complacent with our own possessions and taking care of ourselves, as we so often are tempted to think. We need to repent of such a mindset if we are to continue to bring the Gospel to the nations. God loves the whole world, not just our part of it, and He wants everyone to come to saving faith in Jesus Christ, that they might celebrate the resurrection of Christ with us in this life, and their own resurrection to eternal life one day. All disciples of Jesus are also called to be about the work of fishing.

And let’s not forget this, as we talk about sharing the Gospel with others. The Gospel is also for us. God loves you, and forgives you for the opportunities for fishing that have been lost. His forgiveness gives us the power to redirect our lives more fully into His service. This is seen further when the boat in our text is brought ashore. Jesus already has a fire going with some fish on it, and some bread. He has prepared a meal for His friends, and is ready to eat with them. And He says to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.”

This is significant for the disciples, and for us. This meal, after the fruitless struggles of the night and the catch of fish, symbolizes in a beautiful way the glorious feast on the heavenly shores, together with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, all the patriarchs, prophets, martyrs, saints, and all the company of heaven, following their faithful service here on earth. We should look at this as a small glimpse of the joy that is in store for us in the life of the world to come, when we gather at that great banquet table in the kingdom of glory.

Jesus fed His Church when He came to earth and offered Himself up for the life of the world. He has spread His table before us, inviting us once again to eat His sacred meal, to feast until our souls are filled with forgiveness, peace, and eternal life. And He also invites us to bring other fish to the banquet, that in the blessings given to them through His Word and Sacraments, they, too, would gather at the Lord’s Table with us. The grace, the mercy, the love that God has for all is beyond our understanding; but it is for all people, and it is for you. And that’s enough to make me want to give fishing another try. How about you? Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep both your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.