Loving God, you continue to call us to follow Jesus, while fishing for people and feeding the sheep along the way.  Renew us by your Spirit, empowering us for all that is to come, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

            When we first hear this gospel story about the disciples going fishing after the resurrection of Jesus, it almost seems comical.  Seven of the disciples – several of whom had fished for a living prior to meeting Jesus – go out in a boat, fish all night, and catch nothing.  After getting instructions from Jesus, who is standing on the shore, they cast the net on the right side of the boat and catch so many fish that they can barely haul them all in.  Then Peter, upon hearing that it is Jesus on the shore, puts on his clothes and jumps into the lake.  From there the story becomes a little more serious.  After all, the gospel is not meant to be a comedy.

         As it turns out, everything that is included in the story is quite intentional.  For one thing, there are echoes of another story that is told in Luke 5:1-11.  In that story, Jesus gets into Simon’s boat, teaches for a while, and then tells Simon to put down his nets in the deeper water for a catch.  Once again, Simon has fished all night long and caught nothing.  However, as soon as he does what Jesus has told him, there are so many fish that they need two boats to bring them all to shore.  Simon immediately recognizes his own sinfulness, and Jesus’ holiness, and asks Jesus to go away.  However, the end result is the call to come and follow Jesus, which leads four fishermen (including Simon) to leave everything behind in order to be with Jesus.

         In another story, found in John 6:1-14, thousands of hungry people are fed, beginning with only five barley loaves and two fish.  Jesus takes the bread, gives thanks, and distributes the loaves to everyone, doing the same with the fish.  As everyone is fed, there is such an abundance of food that they fill twelve baskets with all of the leftovers.  In today’s gospel, although it is a smaller group of people, Jesus still takes the bread and the fish and distributes them to the disciples, with some of the fish coming from the abundant catch that they have just brought to shore.  In both instances there are echoes of Holy Communion, as Jesus takes the bread and gives thanks.

         Finally, the charcoal fire in today’s gospel takes us back to another charcoal fire in John 18.  This fire was in the courtyard of the high priest’s house, and Simon Peter was there with another disciple, standing by the fire to keep warm.  While he is there, three different people ask Peter if he is one of Jesus’ followers, and each time Peter denies that he even knows Jesus.  And then the cock crows.

         Having denied his Lord and Teacher, Simon Peter is given the opportunity by Jesus to make up for his denial and be reconciled with Jesus.  Three different times – to mirror his three denials of Jesus – Simon Peter is asked by Jesus, “Do you love me?”, and three times he says “yes.”  Each time, Peter is given the tasks of a shepherd: Feed my lambs, tend my sheep, and feed my sheep.  Jesus has been identified as the Good Shepherd earlier in the gospel of John, with the care of the sheep now being handed off to his followers.

         As a community of people who seek to follow Jesus, who are called to fish for people and tend the sheep, there are at least a couple of things in this gospel that might speak to us.  The first thing is that whole fishing scene, where they are out there all night and catch nothing.  It is no accident that, as soon as they take their direction from Jesus, and listen to his voice, their nets are full.  It is so easy for us to slip into relying on our own strength, and our own skill, and our own methods – both in our own lives and in our work together in the body of Christ.  However, when it comes to fishing for people, only Jesus knows when and where the ones with open hearts and minds are to be found.

         At the same time, the gospel reminds us that Jesus feeds us, and also sends us to feed others.  During his time on this earth, Jesus fed people both literally and spiritually.  In our case, we are fed at the Lord’s Supper, and strengthened for the week ahead, as Jesus gives us himself – in, with, and under the gifts of bread and wine.  Then we, too, are sent out and called to feed others – both physically and spiritually.

         We do this by the power of the Holy Spirit – just as those first disciples did – and, as always, we are able to do far more together than by ourselves.  In this congregation, there are people who work at the food bank on a regular basis, as well as those who support Trinity Food Pantry.  There are those who put together 100 lunch bags yesterday that will be delivered to the Urban today.  There are those who have given of themselves in other ways in order to feed those who are hungry.  And yet, there are always opportunities and needs that invite us to do more.

         Today, as we gather, we give thanks for those ways in which Jesus continues to feed us, strengthening us through the Holy Spirit to keep on fishing, always listening for Jesus’ voice as we continue our journey through this world.  For, Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia! Amen.

Easter 3(C)                                       John 21:1-19

May 4, 2025

St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church

Pastor Lynne Hutchison

© 2025 Lynne Hutchison  All Rights Reserved