Breaking the Fast

Reverend Philip Stringer

John 21:1-19

LET US PRAY: Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Feed us with your Word, and speak to our hearts, that we may be filled with your endless life, now and forever. AMEN

I remember my grandfather’s flashlight. It was chrome and long, with a big round lens at the end. It woke me up as Grandpa shined it through the car window, and I heard him laugh, “hello there!”

I must have been only 6 or 7 years old. We were driving back to Indiana from a visit with my grandparents in central Florida, when the car broke down somewhere near the Georgia state line. Grandpa had driven several hours to reach us at the service station parking lot, and he took us back to his house while we waited for the car to be repaired. I thought that it was wonderful — more time at Grandma & Grandpa’s house!

As I look back at it now, I think about what it must have been like for my dad to make that long-distance collect phone call. “Dad, I need help.” And to know that that help was coming.

We are raised with the notion that we can become independent and self-sufficient, but we all know that that isn’t really possible — We can’t do that as people and we can’t do that as a nation either, by the way. Because we live in a world where the unexpected happens -- where each day brings the unknown, and we are reminded that we prepare for everything — and we can’t be good at everything. In fact, I think that in general we are probably ever only marginally good at some things and then only for a short while.

Into this fragile and vulnerable existence, Jesus comes to speak to us-- and in today’s Scripture texts he says to us, “I am here for you, and I will provide what you need.”

Jesus comes to give what we need, and he takes what he gives and glorifies God through us.

Peter puts on a good show . . .

But Jesus exposes the truth beneath the theatrics.

“I don’t want your flattery”

Jesus forces him to face the truth about himself: he cannot and does not love Jesus like he should.

Agape ́/ Philios exchange.

Jesus asks him plainly. “OK, Peter. Do you only philios me?” Then Peter is hurt because Jesus states it plainly, and Peter says, “Yes, Lord. You know everything. You know it’s all I can do. You know I can’t love you as I should. You know I fall short.”

That is the truth about Peter. He CAN’T love Jesus as he should, and he DOESN’T. And that’s the truth about you and me, too, even if we hate to admit it. Time and time again, we are close to God with our words but fail with our hearts. When life is going well, when we’re happy and content, it’s easy to proclaim our devotion and see ourselves as faithful. But our devotion is only as strong as our patience, or our comfort.

The truth of our failure is where the truth of God’s faithfulness meets us.

Jesus lets Peter know, “if that’s all that you can give, I’ll take it. But I will take the rest of you too -- and I will make your life worthwhile and I will glorify God through you.

When we hear words that describe freedom, we tend to think that it is the ideal. But that isn’t always the case -- especially when one isn’t capable of handling the freedoms that one has.

Jesus speaks to Peter: When you were young, you chose your course -- and you have shown that you have no direction -- you are floundering.

“When you are older, someone else will bind you and take you where you do not wish to go.” Is that God or the devil? Sometimes -- especially when we hear what we don’t want to hear -- it’s easy for us to confuse God and the devil.

It happened with the OT prophets and false prophets time and time again.

It happened with John the Baptist

It happened with Jesus

And it happens with us, too, that when we hear something counter to

what we want, we think it’s the devil.

But the devil doesn’t have the power to bind Peter and take him.

Jesus tells Peter, “You have shown that you are not capable of directing your life. I have chosen you as my own. From now on I will be directing your ways.”

Peter went on to do great things, leading the early church, healing the sick. But when people tried to give him the credit, he always said -- “It’s not me. It is Jesus.”

Jesus is at work in you, too -- providing what you need so that God may be glorified through you.

He also did this with a man named, “Saul.” . . . self-righteous notion, presumed to do God’s will by persecuting the Christians (see how easy it is to confuse God and the devil?)

There had been a time when he would have rather died than confess Jesus as his lord. But Jesus came to him and told him what he had told Peter -- “from now on I will be directing your ways.”

Saul became Paul and went on to be the greatest missionary of God, planting churches, encouraging young churches with visits and letters.

Imprisoned and beaten for the gospel

Treated as a criminal and heretic by his own people.

But in his letters, Paul himself would describe himself, saying, “I am a prisoner of the gospel” . . . and . . . “I count all of my previous deeds and accomplishments as trash -- useless and meaningless.”

Jesus came to Saul -- he provided what he needed and glorified God through him.

There is a little bit of Paul and Peter in all of us.

Like Peter, we’re all capable of putting on impressive outward demonstrations of faith . . .

But we’re not fooling God.

And like Paul, we each carry around our self-righteous notions about ourselves and further our own agendas in the name of being faithful to God.

But Jesus has other plans for us.

Several years ago, I built a monument to mediocrity -- commonly known to most people as a brick BBQ. I call it a “monument to mediocrity” because it didn’t go so well.

It’s hard to do . . . level, straight, no gaps, etc. . . . start getting tired . . . mortar starts to stiffen. . . so I start to hurry.

It doesn’t look too bad up close but then step back . . . out of whack.

I was talking to our neighbor at the time, whose husband used to be a general contractor.

I told her -- “you’ll have to come over . . when it’s dark so Sid can’t see it.”

That’s sort of like what we do with Jesus, isn’t it?

“Yes, we love you. Yes, we are faithful to you. Just don’t look too closely.”

Halfway through the project my parents came for a visit and my dad helped me out and I discovered that it’s easier with two -- it goes faster and it looks better. You can clearly see the difference between what I built alone and what we built together.

Today we are assured that when we let go of our shame and self-deceit, we will find that Jesus is ALREADY providing what we need -- MORE than what we are lacking . . . “in the world you will have trouble. Fear not. I have overcome the world.”

It is noteworthy that this encounter with Jesus happens at breakfast-time.

The Word “breakfast” -- means “break the fast.”

Today’s scripture -- Jesus invites his disciples to a simple meal -- but in it, he symbolizes something much more. “Break the fast,” he tells them.

Come break the fast created by your illusions of self-righteousness, self-reliance; pretending to be whole when you are not.

What Jesus says to Peter he says to us, too.

(GO TO ALTAR AND PREPARE COMMUNIONWARE)

He prepared a meal for his disciples and said, “come break the fast. I will provide what you need.

Remember who you are.

Remember who I am.

Being clear about that, let’s get going.

I’ll take the lead . . . you follow.

Come and have breakfast. I’ll provide what you need.

I’ll provide the direction. Come and eat breakfast.

I’ll provide the focus. Come and eat breakfast.

I’ll provide the substance. Come and eat breakfast.

I’ll provide the meaning. Come and eat breakfast.

I’ll make your life noteworthy and good. Come and eat breakfast.

I’ll lead the way. Come and eat breakfast.

I’ll provide everything you need. Come and eat breakfast.

We might think that freedom means we’re independent and the ultimate masters of our lives. But today we are reminded of our baptism into Christ.

And we’re reminded: here is food that we need.

Jesus has something more in mind for us than puttering around in our own self-righteousness . . . trying to convince ourselves that we are better than we are. “You are mine,” he says, “and I will glorify God in you.”

Jesus provides what you need. So come and have breakfast.

AMEN