[Sing:]

Love, love me do

You know I love you,

I'll always be true,

So please, …

love me do

Many of you could sing along with that early Beatles classic from 1963.

And in a bit of a sacrilegious imagination, 

I picture Jesus and Peter singing this song to each other 

with Thomas on harmonica and Nathanael on drums.

Of course they didn’t, 

but the scene presented in our Gospel reading is a feel-good story, 

a happy ending after the trauma of the preceding week,

A joyful reunion in their favourite spot by the lake.

And that simple and slightly hokey Beatles song 

could serve so well as a soundtrack.

It all happens in the context of a late-night fishing expedition 

by the half-dozen apostles, 

which had left them empty-handed. 

All that work, and their nets were still empty!

But then for the third time since the Resurrection, 

Jesus showed himself. 

He stood on the beach and instructed them to cast their nets 

out on the right side of the boat.

Which seems like a pointless instruction, 

but they did it even though they weren’t aware that

it was Jesus, 

and lo and behold, a huge catch of fish!

“It is the Lord” the beloved disciple finally understands!

Now this whole episode may seem a little surprising 

to us non-fisherman,

But actually, researchers have found out

that at the time 

it was common to fish along the shoreline, 

as it was warmer for the fish overnight,

And it was typical in the early morning 

to take advice from strangers on the shore.

So up until the finding that the other side of the boat 

was so much better, 

it all seems pretty normal. 

But the then the miracle of abundance happens. 

They go from 0 to 60 in just a few seconds. 

Such an amazing feat can only be due 

to the presence of the Son of God himself, 

the same one who calmed the wind and the waves 

and who walked on water.

 

And then Jesus shows himself as host of a feast: 

fish and bread over a charcoal fire, 

he’s already gone fishing and has baked bread, 

so early in the morning?

“Come and have breakfast!,”

He invites the tired fishermen,

And they trust him and join him.

A meal together is a sacred and special thing.

We generally don’t eat a meal with people we don’t trust and love.

We share a meal to strengthen friendships and deepen relationships.

So this meal with Jesus shows that the disciples know Jesus 

and trust him.

They trusted him to cast their nets another way,

They trusted him when he offered a breakfast on the shore.

And in turn, Jesus trusted his friends that they would remember him 

and keep following him 

and do his work when he was gone.

Trust is so important, both for us personally, 

and also as a group.

We trust other people every day:

We trust other drivers on the road, 

that they won’t try to purposely crash into us,

We trust our government, that they will lead with wisdom and try to make our country a better place for all,

We trust our friends that they won’t stab us in the back.

As a community of faith, people of St. Matthews,

In this week after our AGM we need to trust as well.

There are many uncertainties in this day and age for churches,

Too many reasons to say: “this is pointless:

the traditions and ways of doing things we trusted in 

just don’t hold true anymore.”

But: some things do stay the same:

First of all:

Our need as a community to continue trusting in Jesus:

The one who asked the disciples to do crazy things.

If we trust in Jesus: we will do well!

If we trust that we’re in Jesus’ business, 

though perhaps the outcomes are not quite what we imagined, 

when we act faithfully to his command to follow him, all will turn out for the best.

Follow me!, Jesus calls, and as a church we answer, yes, Lord.

 

After Breakfast by the seashore,

We have the famous back and forth between Jesus and Peter.

“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?

-Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.

Then feed my lambs,” Jesus replies

Jesus asks him 3 times, 

because Peter had previously denied knowing him thrice, 

while he was waiting outside in the courtyard of the high priest 

on the night in which Our Lord was betrayed.

3 times Peter is called to tend sheep and feed lambs,

To take care of the lost, the lonely, the afraid,

To do Jesus’ ministry, to carry on the mission.

We too are called by Jesus 

To tend the sheep and to love as Jesus did.

To carry on being fishers of people,

Encouraging others to come and see what Jesus is all about,

Inviting people to be in relationship with other Christians

And to come to the Table of the Lord.

Tending to the lambs and feeding the sheep 

is the call of the Church universal, 

To do as Jesus did,

To prepare meals for friends, 

To welcome the tired and hungry,

And to have compassion with those who have hurt us.

 

We are loved 

and so we love in return, 

Loving God and neighbour and self.

Whenever I used to read over and think about this passage, 

I imagined myself in the role of Peter. 

Yes, Lord, I love you, 

I would copy.

Of course, I Sebastian, 

was trying to love Jesus just as Simon was desperate 

to show Jesus that he would never betray him again 

and that he loved him until the end of his life.

(now that he understood what the whole mission was about).

And that’s what this passage is mainly getting at: 

inviting the hearer to agree with Peter, and to say, 

yes I love you Jesus.

But what I’ve ignored up until a few weeks ago

 is what is implied behind the passage:

That Jesus loves Simon Peter as well.

It didn’t need to be said, but one could imagine this dialogue;

Peter asks: Jesus, do you love me?

Jesus answers: Yes Peter, you know that I love you.

Peter replies: then help me feed your lambs.

And this continues two more times.

You see, we have the right to ask Jesus: 

“do you love me?”

In our prayers to Jesus we can ask that question: 

Lord, do you love me?

And wait in the silence,

And probably deep down, we know the answer:

Yes, my child, I love you.

But maybe we haven’t talked to Jesus in this way ever before, 

So maybe we can take a moment in prayer right now.

I invite you as you are willing 

to participate in a brief simple breath prayer with me:

Make yourself comfortable in your seat or pew

Take a few deep breaths

And center yourself

Grounding your feet on the ground if possible

Softening your eyes

And taking a few moments of silence

With your inhale; breathe in: Jesus do you love me?

Breathe out: Yes, child, I love you.

breathe in: Jesus do you love me?

Breathe out: Yes, child, I love you.

Jesus do you love me?

Yes, child, I love you.

SILENCE

Jesus loves me

I love Jesus

Jesus loves me

I love Jesus

Jesus loves me

I love Jesus

Amen.

*Hymn of the Day 658 “O Jesus, Joy of Loving Hearts” 

And I invite you to sing this song as a prayer to Jesus.