Sunday, April 18, 2010
3rd SUNDAY EASTER (C) 18 April 2010
For the last couple of weeks we have been listening to the accounts of the appearances of Jesus after the resurrection. This is the last Sunday we will hear them. As I have listened it struck me that the intention of the gospel writers wasn’t really about offering a proof that Jesus is risen. They are telling us about the experience of those who first encountered him. They want to invite us to read the gospel not so much as history, but as an invitation to reflect on our own experience of the risen Jesus.
The scene in today’s gospel is very busy. We have the disciples out fishing on the lake and, following a few helpful words from a stranger, they make a great catch of fish. Then there is the breakfast with Jesus on the shore. Finally, Peter and Jesus wander along the shore on their own and Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him. It is tempting to start with this last scene and to ignore the very beginning. But the beginning is important. It tells us that these disciples had gone back to work. Life was returning to normal. After all the drama around the death of Jesus and the disappointment they no doubt felt that his cause was lost, they were probably just beginning to settle back into the normal routine of life, making sure that they had work to do so that they could provide for their families. And, like any life, it had its moments of disappointment: the times when the fish weren’t biting, when life was hard, when success was difficult.
The point we need to note is that Jesus appears to them in that world – not some other world where everything is holy or successful or perfect. Jesus appears to them in the normal course of their life. And they don’t notice him! He blends into their world. He looks just like any other stranger walking along the shore of the lake. Why should they listen to him? Why should they follow his advice to put out their nets one more time? Something in them urges them to listen, and they put out their nets. Then something unexpected happens: there is a massive school of fish and their nets are at breaking point. They only guess who this stranger is. The situation is so different to what it used to be. He is different. But they know that it is Jesus: they see this stranger through the eyes of faith and recognise him.
From this encounter they are drawn into his mission. This is a constant theme in all of the resurrection scenes. They are told to go and be his witnesses. This takes shape differently for different people. Some take on important roles of preaching and healing in his name. Some are community organisers. But the majority keep going about their normal work, even if their life now has a new meaning. Sometimes they have to re-think their lifestyle and make adjustments. But they continue in their normal roles and seek to live at peace in their neighbourhood.
We can notice a pattern in what happens after Jesus was raised from the dead and appeared to the disciples. First, they encounter him while going about their normal life. But they don’t initially recognise him because they are not expecting to meet him at that place. When they finally recognise him, they still only see him through the eyes of faith. Finally, he entrusts them to be witnesses to his mission. This pattern is important, and we should be alert to it in our own lives. Be ready to encounter Jesus in the ordinary places of your life.
The final scene in this gospel is the dialogue between Peter and Jesus. Don’t forget that Peter had denied Jesus three times before the crucifixion. Now Jesus asks him to profess his faith three times. It is easy to think that this is an incident that simply concerns Peter and perhaps the successors of Peter. But there is something here for all of us too. There is the reminder that even when we fall short in honouring our commitment to Jesus we can still renew our faith in him. But there are also those words right at the end about what happens when you grow up. When you were young you could make choices and choose to do what you liked. But as you get older and seek to honour your commitments of faith you may find that you are doing things you never expected. It is marvellous message for all of us to hear, but particularly the youth of our community. You can enjoy the freedom that comes with youth – the freedom to ask questions, to explore ideas, to experiment with various lifestyle choices. You can even do all of this while making a commitment to the risen Jesus and the Spirit who abides with us. But Jesus warns you to be ready to follow that commitment through, even to places that you can’t even imagine right now. This is faith: not knowing what the future will be, but being ready to be a part of it.
The Easter season is very much the time of the Holy Spirit. We only know Jesus through the Holy Spirit dwelling in our lives. We only become witnesses because we follow the movement of the Holy Spirit. Here we have a great gift. Let’s open our hearts to receive from the Lord of life.
Fr Gerard Kelly
Monday, April 5, 2010
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