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April 22, 2007

Breakfast on the Beach

Preacher: Rev. Jack Meehan Category: Biblical Scripture: John 21:1–21:19

Third Sunday of Easter
John 21:1-19

"Breakfast on the Beach"

When I titled this message last Monday morning, little did I - or any of us - know what would transpire at Virginia Tech that same morning. With the shooting deaths of 27 students and 5 faculty members on the campus of Virginia Tech, as well as those who were injured in the shootings, the eyes of the entire nation - and the world - have been focused on Blacksburg, VA. Questions race through our minds: How could this happen? Are we safe anywhere? As I wrote in my congregational email message this past week, we are at a loss for words in the aftermath of this killing rampage. When words fail us, we turn to the Word of Life, the crucified and risen One, the Lord Jesus Christ. To the best of my knowledge, I do not believe that we have any young people from our congregation who are students at Virginia Tech this year. Although grateful for this, there are many individuals among us who do have family members, friends, neighbors, or co-workers with students at the campus in Blacksburg. The need for compassionate listening, Christ-like care, and whatever support we can provide is before us. We are Easter people! We live in the light of Jesus' resurrection, and we have a message of hope to share with the world, especially now. Please join me now in a moment of silent prayer as we ask the healing mercy of the Lord, and his peace - that peace which the world cannot give - upon all those whose lives have been torn apart by this violence. (silent prayer). Let us pray:

God in heaven, we live in a world that is broken, marred by violence and bloodshed. We acknowledge that it is our sin - the evil we have done and the good we have failed to do - that has brought about this brokenness. We look to you for forgiveness and new life. In your mercy, touch hearts and lives that have been shattered by the terrible shootings at Virginia Tech. We see again how fragile life really is, and how little control we have. In our grief, speak to us of Easter promise and hope - of resurrection and new life.. Point us to Jesus, who offered his life as the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and who is now risen from the dead. Help us to bear one another's burdens in the coming days, hat you might use us to be the hands, and feet, and mouth of Christ to a hurting and confused world. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

The message for today, "Breakfast on the Beach," sounds so peaceful and relaxing - in sharp contrast to the images from Virginia Tech. Those images are burned into our minds - like 9/11, like Columbine. I think we can identify with Peter's decision to "go fishing" (John 21:3). Peter and the other disciples had been through so much with Jesus' betrayal, his crucifixion, his death, and how is rising from the dead, that Peter just needed to get away - to go fishing. Maybe Peter was thinking about chucking it all - this whole Jesus thing - and just going back to what he used to do: fishing. But Jesus had a hold on Peter, as He does on us, and He wasn't going to let Peter go. And He won't let us go, either.

Three's the "magic" number here - not "magic," but significant. When Jesus was handed over to his enemies, Simon Peter denied ever having known Jesus - not once, not twice, but three times (Matt. 26:31-35; Mark 14:26-31; Luke 22:31-34; John 13:36-38). How hurtful that must have been! Certainly to Jesus, but also to Peter. And now, we are told that this is Jesus' third resurrection appearance (John 20:14). And now, after breakfast on the beach, Peter's three-fold denial of Jesus is overcome by Jesus' three-fold re-commissioning of Peter (John 10:15-17): "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" And each time Peter responds: "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Having affirmed his love for Jesus, Jesus affirms the role he has for Peter: "Feed my lambs... Tend my sheep... Feed my sheep." Jesus' amazing grace reaches out to restore Peter, and it reaches out to restore each one of us as well.

Feeding leads to following. Breakfast on the beach leads to work in the field. The risen Savior fed his disciples then with that breakfast of fish and bread on the beach, and the risen Savior feeds his disciples now - breakfast, or maybe we should say supper at the Lord's Table. The crucified and risen Savior who died upon the cross, making payment for the penalty of our sin, and who rose again in triumph over death and the grave, now gives himself to us in a manner that transcends reason, logic, and understanding. He gives his very Body and Blood to us under this bread and wine. Why? For the same purpose that we put food into our stomach: so that we may be physically strengthened. We eat and drink Christ's true Body and Blood so that we may be spiritually strengthened, built up in faith toward God and in love toward one another. Jesus feeds us so that we might follow him, just as he commanded Peter: "Follow me" (John 20:19). Jesus gathered his disciples together there for breakfast on the beach, and he gathers us now around his cross. Gathered there on the beach, Jesus formed and fueled his first disciples for the work that lay ahead of them - to carry the Gospel message out into all the world. Jesus forms and fuels us today so that we, too, might carry that Gospel message out into a world that is hurting and confused, alienated from God. Jesus sent those first disciples out to invite others to know the power of his resurrection. Jesus sends us out today to invite all people to a life transformed in him - to know the power his resurrection in their lives today. Jesus gathers us. He forms and fuels us, and he sends us out to invite. That is our mission as twenty-first century disciples.

The truth of the matter is that Jesus calls unlikely people to be his followers: Peter the denier, Saul the persecutor who became Paul the apostle (Acts 9:1-20), and us. If we are honest with ourselves, we have to admit that there is not one thing about us that would prompt God to take notice of us. We are but dust and ashes before the God of all creation, and all our works are as filthy rags. And yet, for Jesus' sake, God looks beyond our filth, and sees the righteousness of his own Son. Raised to new life in him, God would use us, like He used Peter and Saul, to be his vessels of grace and mercy today. Friends in Christ, breakfast on the beach leads to the "feast of victory"! This is the vision before us in today's second lesson (Revelation 5:11-14): "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" This is our Easter hymn of praise! This is our life's hymn of praise! May this vision sustain us on our journey of faith until we join those angels, those four living creatures, and elders around the throne in heaven. Amen.