Come on in, Breakfast is Waiting

Third Sunday in Easter, Year C

May 4, 2025  

 John 21: 1-19

My friends, I cannot begin this sermon without first acknowledging on this third Sunday in Easter, May the 4th be with you!

In the 50 days between Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and his ascension back to what we call the heavenly realm, Jesus visits his apostles and friends. Not every day and every encounter is recorded, but a number of them are, and our reading today is about an appearance to seven of his disciples. Now, even though Jesus had already popped in on them last week when they were scared and locked up in a room, and even though he had already told them he was sending them out to continue his work in the world, apparently they were still mystified. I think the disciples get a lot of flack for that, but to be honest, I think I’d still be in shock and not quite sure what or how to go about it. I’d also still be mourning my friend and mentor.

So it’s small wonder that when the sun sets on another confusing day, and the daylight dims, Peter resorts to the only thing he knows to do. He goes fishing. And it doesn’t seem the others really know what to do with themselves, either, so they go along with him. And they fish all night long and catch nothing. We all know that when things are bad, it’s worse at night. Hour after hour, nothing. And the mind is left to go over and over the events that led them to this wasteland of spirit. Denials, betrayal, abandonment, fear, shame, confusion, and probably anger, too, are all remembered in the depth of that night.

Yet as the sun came up over the horizon, they could see the shore just about a football field’s distance away from them , and there’s some guy yelling for them to try again–”put your nets on the other side!” Like they haven’t already tried that after several hours all night long? But strangely enough, they do it. 

And the abundance of God is so great that it’s more than the boat can handle. They will have to drag that load back to the shore. 153 fish. There are all kinds of theories about what that number means that I don’t have time to elaborate on in this sermon–but we can agree, it is A LOT of fish. It was the more reflective and observant disciple–the unnamed disciple whom Jesus loved–that recognized Jesus, not because of what he looked like, but because this disciple recognized the action of Christ. The extravagant bonanza when all seemed hopeless the sun rose on an effusive outpouring–that’s how this disciple recognized Jesus. God provides abundance when all we can see is scarcity. And when this loving disciple tells Peter the impulsive one–Peter, who has loved Jesus like a hot mess, recognizes his friend and teacher whom he is devoted to and has no other thought than, “I must get to Jesus as quickly as I can.” So he doesn’t wait for the boat, he jumps in the water and swims to shore.

And here’s the thing, in what seems to be the first recorded conversation between Peter and Jesus since Peter denied him after Jesus’ arrest, Jesus doesn’t say, “Peter, you messed up. I’m going to have to find someone else to lead, you really failed me. You should be ashamed of yourself.” He just puts some more wood on the fire and says to him, “Come and have some breakfast.” Like he had washed their feet, he now cooks for them. And they know him in the breaking of the bread. 

And then, he deals with Peter’s three-time denial by asking him three times if he loves him. Of course Peter has felt shame and remorse for what he had done, so of course it smarts when Jesus asks for confirmation of his love. And with grace and forgiveness comes a responsibility–feed my lambs, tend my sheep. Your fishing days are over. You’re now a shepherd.  

This Gospel is paired with the story in Acts of Paul’s encounter with Jesus because these two stories reveal a deep truth for Christ followers. In Acts, we have Saul (not yet Paul) who has obtained a warrant from the high priest to round up men and women in the synagogues and throw them in jail (sometimes leading to their deaths.) He is outright called a murderer. Even though we don’t have an account of Saul directly killing anyone, his silent approval, his standing by and watching, makes him complicit.

In Peter’s denial, it is a rejection of Jesus out of fear, but it is also a rejection of himself and the very call he had said yes to–to follow Jesus and carry on the work. Peter did not measure up to the task. In both cases, restitution and the work of restoration must be done before either of these men are truly ready for their calling. Perhaps these are lessons we all must learn.

In both cases, these guys become remorseful and penitent regarding their actions that have harmed others. Jesus points out that when these others are harmed, it is a harm done to Jesus himself. “Saul, Saul why do you persecute me?” I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” 

Both Saul and Peter are forgiven, but there are also consequences to their actions. Saul loses his vision and will have to be cared for like an infant. He will undergo years of time away until he is ready to fulfill his calling. Peter is challenged about his love for Jesus and must reaffirm his faith. Peter had to not only face Jesus, but take a hard look at himself, too. All things are brought into balance, but there is a process to restoration. And it involved the very people that were being persecuted. 

Others who have been affected by their actions have to participate in the restoration of these two men who, though earnest in their faith, got it wrong. God calls Ananias to help in Saul’s restoration. Ananias is shocked, for sure. “Are you kidding me?” he basically responds. I have to say, I’d probably be on Team Ananias here. That is an incredible request from Jesus. Saul and Ananias will meet each other face to face and he, one of the people Saul persecuted, will be the agent to restore Saul’s sight. That is a lesson in humility for sure. For both of them.

The point is that we are all interconnected. Jesus has pointed out that when we harm others, even if we are just sitting on the sidelines and watching, we harm him, too, but we also harm ourselves. At times we are Saul or Peter, at times we are asked to be Ananias. We generally like to think of ourselves as the good ones. But we aren’t always, even though we want to be. Peter had lots of reasons we would agree with for denying Jesus and for being a bit dense and impulsive at times. But he was fervent and sincere.

Saul was a faithful Jew. A dedicated Pharisee and truly thought he was defending the faith, fighting for God, as if God needs any of us to fight for God. That’s really ridiculous when you think about it. We all have our religious dogma and quite often can’t conceive that God is not going to be the God we try to create in our own image. God cannot be contained. The only predictable thing about the Trinitarian God is that God is not predictable. 

Jesus always invites us to the table. His way of love is to first see the desire of our hearts and invite us to breakfast without vengeance. It isn’t a set-up. “Come,” Jesus says. “Remember me in the breaking of bread and we will begin the process of forgiveness and restoration.” Not just for us individually, but because we are interdependent, it involves the people that have been harmed in some way. We have to face it but the love of Jesus is transformative. We will be renewed. Resurrection is abundance. 

The grace of God is bountiful. Before this breakfast on the beach, Jesus made his point with a load of fish that when we come out of a night of despair and nothing seems to go right, the dawn will come.  Jesus will call to us to try again another way. 

Following The Way of Jesus is not easy. But we, too, will be met with abundant grace and mercy, not shame. The shame is of our own making. So many people tell me, “I just can’t possibly go to church–I’ve done some bad things or I’m really just not good enough.” And I long to tell them that none of us are but come on in, breakfast is waiting. 

We make some grievous errors in living out our faith that cause unbelievable harm to others and we must answer for that. We pray in our confession, “we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone.” But there is always a path to restoration and wholeness in The Way of Christ. Always. It is hard work, mind and spirit, but it is The Way. Love is shown through action and action must be rooted in articulated love. So, come, my friends. Jesus invites you to breakfast.