Protect and Serve
(John 21: 1-19)
In order to become a Houston Police Officer, you first had to apply, pass a background check, and a polygraph examination. Then, if you were lucky, you were accepted into a sixteen-week academy where trained and experienced instructors taught you the various aspects of policing on such topics as the law, department policies, arrest procedures, how to shoot, and how to drive. Upon graduation you were sent to the Patrol Division where you were paired up with Field Training Officers who would bring you along slowly so you wouldn’t hurt yourself or anyone else. If you made it off the three-month Field Training Program you then rode with other senior officers and if you made it to your first-year anniversary you were released from your probationary period and considered a full-fledged police officer. There was nothing more to teach you although it was wise to find a seasoned officer to serve as a mentor to help you out and give you advice if you found yourself in a situation that had no clear solution. The main thing to remember was your training and your mission: to protect and serve the people.
And that, I believe, is what Jesus is preparing to do in our gospel reading for this morning. Like a Field Training Officer, Jesus has brought his disciples along slowly, even upon his resurrection and return. I think he wants to impress upon them that just because he is back it’s not business as usual. He’s taught them what they need to know, observed them during their training period, and he is ready to release them out into the mission field to protect and serve the people, God’s people.
Now apparently, some of the disciples felt that the heat had died down and that the Jewish authorities really weren’t interested in tracking them down as they felt the “Jesus” problem had been sufficiently dealt with. And Peter, never one to sit around and do nothing, said he was going fishing so several of the other disciples said they would go with him. John tells us that they fished all night long and came up with nothing but empty nets. Early in the morning Jesus called out to them from the shore asking them if they had caught anything. Not recognizing Jesus, they responded that they had not. Jesus instructed them to cast their nets on the right side of the boat and that they would find some fish. Now, I fished quite a bit with my father-in-law out of a small bass boat and I can tell you that if the fish aren’t biting it doesn’t matter what side of the boat you fish on, but a fisherman will try anything. Sin any event, they cast their nets on the right side of the boat and caught so many fish that they couldn’t haul the net into the boat. Go figure. At that time John recognized Jesus and said to Peter: It’s the Lord! When Peter heard this, he jumped into the water and began swimming towards the shore leaving the other disciples in the boat to bring the haul of fish to the shore. When they got to the beach Jesus already had a fire going and was preparing some fish and bread for their breakfast. Jesus said to them: Bring some of the fish that you’ve just caught, and Simon Peter got up and pulled the net to shore. It was full of large fish, 153 of them. Jesus then invited the disciples to breakfast. John tells us that none of the disciples could bring themselves to ask who Jesus was, although they knew it was the Lord.
When they finished eating Jesus asked Simon Peter: Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? Simon replied: Yes, Lord, you know I love you. Jesus said to him, Feed my lambs. A second time, Jesus asked, Simon, son of John, do you love me? Simon replied, Yes Lord, you know I love you. Jesus said to him, Take care of my sheep. A third time Jesus asked: Do you love me? Peter was sad that Jesus asked him a third time whether or not he loved him. This had to have been embarrassing being asked this three times in front of the other disciples. He probably felt as if he was being singled out. He replied: Lord, you know everything; you know I love you, to which Jesus said to him, Feed my sheep. And then went on to say: I assure you that when you were younger you tied your own belt and walked around wherever you wanted. When you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and another will tie your belt and lead you where you don’t want to go. John tells us that Jesus said this to show the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. After saying this, Jesus said to Peter: Follow me.
There’s a lot to unpack here but the first thing Jesus had to do was to build Peter back up. Peter was no doubt ashamed of his denying who Jesus was three times before the rooster crowed, just as Jesus said he would. He probably felt he had forever fallen from grace and didn’t know what to do next. Would Christ even want him around? Peter needed special encouragement after his denial which is why I think Christ asked him three times, one for each denial, if he loved him. This engagement in front of the other disciples would forever remove the cloud of his denial and restore him to the ministry that God had planned for him, to build a church that would protect and serve God’s vulnerable children.
Peter’s commission, representing the call to all who minister, is not merely to catch fish but to care for Jesus’ flock once they are brought into the fold. This commissioning should cause us to examine just where we are casting our nets. I’ve been to some churches that were very selective as to where they cast their nets, wanting only to catch certain fish and were more than willing to throw the less desirable fish back. Some churches seemed to be content with their present catch and showed no interest in catching any more fish. They had all they needed. And some churches cast their nets on the wrong side of the boat and like the disciples come up empty. These churches are fishing in the wrong waters, which should cause them to question where they are fishing and exactly what they are trying to catch? What Jesus is saying here is that if you fish for the right fish in the right spot your nets will be full. The disciples’ failure to catch any fish until they follow Jesus’ directive symbolizes the need to depend upon Jesus for their mission. And the quantity of fish mentioned by John may correspond to the ancient speculation about the number of fish species, which we know is much greater, and it symbolizes the missional success that comes with dependence on Jesus. We are called to catch the fish where God directs us to fish and to love the sheep God sends us to love. Once caught, the fish become sheep, they become the flock to which we are entrusted.
It’s one thing for us to say we love Jesus, but the real test is our willingness to serve him, really serve him through service to others. Peter had repented, and here Jesus was asking him to commit his life to protecting and serving the least of his brothers and sisters. And he did. His life changed when he finally realized who Jesus really was and his occupation changed from fisherman to evangelist.
Let us pray.
Almighty God, we confess that we are often swept up in the tide of our generation. We have failed in our calling to be your holy people, a people set apart for your divine purpose. We live more in apathy born of fatalism than in passion born of hope. We are moved more by private ambition than by social justice. We dream more of privilege and benefits than of service and sacrifice. We try to speak in your name without relinquishing our glories, without nourishing our souls, without relying wholly on your grace. Help us to make room in our hearts and lives for you. Forgive us, revive us, and reshape us in your image. Amen.