Third Sunday of Easter

April 22, 2007

“We are Changed by His Life and Love!”

John 21:1-19

Preached at Providence Lutheran Church in Holland, O.

By Pastor Dennis R. King

The Grace and Mercy of the Risen Lord, Jesus Christ, be with you all.

Two Kentucky horseracing stable owners had developed a keen rivalry. Each spring they both entered a horse in a local steeple chase. One of them thought that having a professional rider might give his horse an edge in the race, so he hired a jockey. Well, the day of the race came, and as usual, their two horses were leading the race right down to the last fence. But that final fence was too much for both of the horses. Both of them fell, and both riders were thrown. But that didn’t stop the professional jockey. He remounted quickly and easily won the race.

When he got back to the stable, he found the horse owner fuming with rage. He really did not understand his behavior, because he had won the race. So the jockey asked, “What is the matter with you? I won the race, didn’t I. The red-faced owner nodded, “Oh, yes, you won the race. But you won it on the wrong horse!”

Many things happen in our lives but staying focus on the Risen Jesus is so very important. The post-resurrection appearances of Jesus were another way in which He taught His disciples. Resurrection was a new experience for them. They had to gradually grow accustomed to this change. Accepting resurrection was a change. Accepting that the resurrected Jesus was different than the pre-resurrected Jesus was a change. Accepting their mission of proclamation was different. Everything was different. Jesus prepared the disciples. Jesus was remarkably patient. But at the same time the change he brought was radical. He turned so many time-honored concepts upside down. Change is always hard for us. The church is a constant reminder of how hard change, even minor changes can be. Even though we need to prepare others for change, we too need to be open to the change that the Spirit wills to bring to our church and our lives. What we see in this Gospel is that Jesus brought change. He prepared his disciples for change.

The disciples accepted the change because they trusted Jesus. We too need to trust Jesus and believe in the resurrection. Changes are needed all the time. We need to prepare others and ourselves for these changes and move forward as Jesus did. We need to help others believe and trust in the resurrection and in the Risen Jesus. We need to trust in the pattern of the disciples, be open to change, and embrace the living Jesus who continues to appear to us.

Having said all of this what does this Gospel have to say to our lives? This Gospel is very affirming. It reminds us of what we really do know, but gets lost in the every day world in which we live. Let’s look at four insights from this Gospel that can help us prepare to be followers of Jesus.

1. Remember that Jesus knows everything.

This is no surprise. It is not meant to be scary, but helpful. In today’s Gospel Jesus tells the disciples where to fish. Remember Jesus was not a fisherman. Some of his disciples were. Fishing is their world. They are the experts. If anyone knows where the fish will be, it’s the fishermen. Even with their expertise they had fished all-night and caught nothing. They are tired, discouraged, and worn down. Jesus appears and tells them to try again. They are reluctant, but Jesus persists. They decide to humor him. You know the rest of the story. Jesus knows everything. Trust this Jesus! In the midst of our lives and troubles let us always ask him what we should do. How we should live. He is never wrong. What a gift we have in Jesus!

Remember that we are different because of Jesus.

Just as Jesus was different after the resurrection so are we because he has touched us. I might not be all I want to be, or all He wants me to be, but I am different because the resurrected Jesus has touched me. Think of how the world is different because of the resurrected Lord. Without the resurrection our lives would be very different, we would not even be here.

3. Remember that we best know Jesus as he shares himself in the breaking of bread. The Word of God and the sacraments are the way Jesus is revealed to us today.

In the breaking of the bread Jesus makes himself known to the disciples? This is sacramental! It is certainly true that we best know Jesus in baptism and Holy Communion. The sacraments are pure. In the meal Jesus gives us we know that it is Him because He says to us, “My body and my blood given and shed for you.”

The meal eating custom transcends all cultures. We sit at table with one another and there is sharing. We hear one another. We tell our stories. We receive support and love.

1. Remember that Jesus desires our love.

“Peter, do you love me?”

I need love. How well we know that we never develop into whole and healthy persons without love. So much criminal behavior can be related to childhoods that were broken and/or abusive. Negativity and contrariness in the congregation can often be related to parents (or a parent) who were much the same. The opposite is also true. Healthy environments produce healthier people in body, soul, and mind.

Jesus desires our love. What an incredible thought! How can the eternal, all powerful, all knowing, need or desire our love? Is love needed for wholeness-even in the Eternal One? Even if one can’t fathom that; we can fathom that Jesus understands that if we love Him, we will be healthier in every way. If we love Him, we will better love others. If my love can reach out in gratitude and adoration to Jesus I will be a better Christian, a better person. Peter was enriched by loving Jesus and by understanding that loving Jesus was related to serving Him.

There is a man trying to cross the street. As he steps off the curb a car comes screaming around the corner and heads straight for him. The man walks faster, trying to hurry across the street, but the car changes lanes and is still coming at him. So the guy turns around to go back, but the car changes lanes again and is still coming at him. By now, the car is so close and the man is so scared that he just freezes and stops in the middle of the road. The car gets real close, then swerves at the last possible moment and screeches to a halt right next him. The driver rolls down the window. The driver is a squirrel. The squirrel says to the man, “See, it is not as easy as it looks, is it?”

It is not as easy to live as disciples of Jesus’ and love the way Jesus would have us love. It is not easy to be a loving disciple following the Risen Christ. It is not as easy to love another person as Jesus has loved us. It is not easy but Jesus calls us to change and love as He has loved us.

Jesus calls us to be the Secretariat’s of the human race. Secretariat, one of the greatest, if not the greatest racehorse in history was a magnificent animal. After Secretariat’s death, the owner ordered an autopsy. A normal heart of a racehorse weighs about nine pounds. However, Secretariat’s heart weighted eighteen pounds and it was not diseased. The enlarged heart pumped oxygen into every muscle fiber of his being, making this horse a champion of champions.

Dear friends in Christ Jesus, we are to be the Secretariats of the human race. Our hearts are enlarged by God’s Word, by His Love, and by His Sacraments. He calls us to feed and tend His sheep and lambs just like He called Peter. With His presence we will not grow weary in doing good nor tired in witnessing to His great love for all humankind.

Amen.