“Feed My Sheep

(John 21: 1-19)

After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he showed himself in this way.  Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples.  Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”  They said to him, “We will go with you.”  They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.  Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?  They answered him, “No.”  He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.”  So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish.  That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”  When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he had taken it off, and jumped into the sea.  But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.

When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish 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, a hundred fifty-three of them, and though there were so many, the net was not torn.  Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.”  Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord.  Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them and did the same with the fish.  This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”  He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.”  Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”  A second time he said to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”  He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.”  Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.”  He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”  Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?”  And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”  Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.  Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished.  But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.”  (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.)  After this he said to him, “Follow me.”

One of the questions that I think of when I hear this fantastic story may surprise you.   What comes into my mind is “Why do we need the church?”  Now, you may find it strange that I, an ordained minister in the church in the United Methodist Church, would spend time asking such a thing.  It may seem so obvious, but, for me, it isn’t, really.

            My contention is that by asking ourselves why we get together, why the church exists, why we pour our time, energy and resources into this entity we call the church—by considering these questions, we have the potential in this moment to remain vital, alive and full of energy.

             And if we don’t bother to wonder, we will surely find ourselves stuck and, maybe, dying.  If all we know is that we have to be here and we have to put a certain amount of money in the plate each Sunday and we have to serve as an officer now and then, if all we know are those things, but yet, we don’t have a mission, a motivation, or a reason that relates to our lives right now, we might get tired and sick of the responsibility of being the church.

            Well, I think this little section in the final chapter of the Gospel of John can be one of the ways we answer the question, “Why do we need the church?”

             I remember one of our neighbors when we lived in Wellington.  He had recently been coming to church, though his attendance was sporadic. His kids played with our grandson, Ethan, when he was a little guy.  Anyway, Jason, the dad, came over one day, and he had this very passage on his mind because it’s about fishing.  That was one of this guy’s passions, so he was very interested in the story.  He said that he and his dad had been discussing it, but Jason wanted to run his own thoughts by me.  Now, I have to tell you, a conversation like that is a dream come true for a preacher. 

 I know that some of you are fishermen and women.  Marc, you were fishing last Sunday, and, amazingly, when I saw you the day before on Saturday, you referred to this story.  You remembered a certain number of fish that were caught (which blew me away, by the way!).  I believe you were off by one though, just sayin’!

             …So, let’s spend some time with this great story.  We are taken on a faith journey with the disciples.  The first picture painted has the disciples out fishing, but having no luck.  Now this happens after Jesus has died and been resurrected.  His followers have returned to their work as fishermen, but, as you heard, things are not going well out on the water.

             When they are about to return the next morning, empty-handed, a stranger beckons from the shore, asking if they’ve caught anything (which, of course, they hadn’t).

             They try his suggestion of dropping the nets off the right side of the boat rather than the left and sure enough, the nets come up overflowing!  At this point they recognize that their advisor is Jesus.

 When they arrive on shore they see that Jesus already has a charcoal fire going.   They’re gonna have a cookout!!  Yay!  He told them to bring some of those fresh fish they had caught, and he was going to grill them.  Then, we are told, Jesus took the bread and gave it to them and the same with the fish.

             This sounds familiar, right, because the language and the action remind us of the Last Supper.  Though it takes place at sunrise on the beach, it is as though Jesus is recreating that Last Supper story.  Though the sacrifice has already been made, it is a lovely reminder of how we meet with the Risen Christ every time we eat together.

            Doesn’t it make you just want to climb into the picture and participate in that idyllic beach party?

             The thing is, we do participate–every time we eat the bread and drink from the cup, we are fed by being with each other and by coming together in the name of Christ, by allowing ourselves a closer walk with God.  We will be doing that, in a few minutes.

             …So, the question, Why the church?  Well, for a good reason.  It’s a chance to come together and be fed by God and by each other.

             Over my many years in ministry I have talked with lots of couples who are preparing to be married, hundreds, I daresay.  I developed this sell job that I go over with them about the value of being part of a church family.  Now we know that everyone comes from a different perspective regarding church so I get a variety of responses to my talk about church– all the way from folks who have grown up in the church and love it to those who are intrigued with the idea to those who have been turned off or hurt by it to those who really see no point in church.

             The truth is, I am open to hearing their stories, whatever they are.  It gives us an opportunity for conversation about sacred things, important things.  The ones who have a resistant or negative attitude require me to rethink and rework my stock material.  With folks who are not convinced that church is important, I can’t get away with quick, easy, cookbook answers.

             Perhaps my new answer to the question, “why the church?” should be this: we NEED to go to church so that we can be fed fish and bread on the beach on a beautiful, early morning by the Risen Christ when the alternative is to get a plastic-wrapped 2 day old sandwich from the BP station sold by a tired, cynical cashier who couldn’t care less about her customers.  How about that??

            The difference is this: by getting together and praising and singing and listening and praying and connecting, we are fed, and we become closer in touch with our God.  We experience ourselves as part of God’s creation, as forgiven and accepted, as good and whole beings.

             …But wait!  There’s more!  The morning reading continues.  Jesus takes Peter aside and asks, “Do you love me?”  Three times he asks this, to the point of irritation, and each time Peter replies, “Yes, of course you know I do.”  And Jesus has three different replies: first, “Feed my lambs”  Then, “Tend my sheep”  Then “Feed my sheep.”

             This has traditionally been taken as Peter’s commission to lead the church, and so it is in the Gospel of John.

             I would like us to hear it today not only as individuals, that Jesus wants each of us to be workers in the church, but, primarily as though He were speaking to the church as a whole. 

             The church has been given the commission to feed and tend the flock—to step out confidently and show the love we have for our God by feeding and tending the flock, that is, God’s human family.

             The church (in the larger sense) ought to be leading the way in easing pain of any sort throughout the world.  We need to speak out at every turn where there is injustice afflicted on one person by another or one country by another.  The church needs to be in the forefront of pushing back against evil and injustice. 

             It is why we plan and support mission trips.  It is why we give money to UMCOR.  It is why our denomination, the United Methodist Church, takes strong stands regarding social justice, has spoken out about wars, stands beside those without health care, stands with immigrants and refugees and continues, admittedly in a limited way, to have a presence in the inner cities, and among the poor, tired and forsaken.  It is what Jesus has called the Church to be and it is what each of our churches has been called to be. 

           Jesus is calling Peninsula United Methodist Church to feed Jesus’ sheep, to make sure that all God’s children are tended to and beloved.  I can think of some ways this can happen.  What if we knew of a family of immigrants that has been wrongly targeted for deportation?  Would we provide sanctuary?  Or would we think of a hundred reasons why not? 

           Jen Batton sent me an article about an African-American pastor who has been standing up every day for “the least of these.”  He and some other pastors went to the Capital the other day and were praying in the Rotunda.  They were warned to leave, but they continued to pray and were ultimately ushered out.  Rev. William Barber’s health is compromised, yet he continues to find ways to live out Jesus’ words, “Tend my sheep.”  I admire him so much, but I find a hundred reasons why I am not standing up and standing tall in these days when selfishness and hatred are ruling the day.   

             …So, let’s review.  Why the church?  The church exists as a care station so that we can look after and nurture ourselves and each other; AND so that we may truly tend and feed God’s entire flock of sheep.  And if we overlook injustice and pain in any guise, if we see someone hungry and in need and don’t respond, it is as though a shepherd ignores the stone in the sheep’s foot or the 100^th sheep remains lost or the sickly one is left to die.

             In my humble opinion, all this is WHAT the church ought to be and WHY the church ought to be.

             Since God makes it possible for US to be fed and nurtured (remember the disciples in the boat and, then, on the beach? And today at our altar); therefore, God wants this of us: feed the lambs, tend the sheep, feed God’s sheep in whatever way we can….  Amen.