I wonder how feel about the beach. I have a complicated relationship with beaches. I love walking along them, the vast horizons and the sea breeze. I enjoy sea swimming. But. To say that I don\u2019t like sand would be an understatement. When I arrive in glory, God and I are going to be having a bit of a conversation about sand, and particularly its insistence on being really sticky and difficult to wash or brush off until you get in the car, when it magically loses all its adhesive properties and spreads itself liberally everywhere. And, to be honest, I\u2019m not that keen on just sitting there in the sun either \u2013 I like to be doing something. Anyway, that\u2019s just me \u2013 you will have your own thoughts on beaches. It would be boring if we were all the same.<\/p>\n
Today we find Jesus on the beach. Twice. It\u2019s a lake beach, rather than a sea beach, and he\u2019s not on a sun lounger, or making sandcastles, he is having conversations, teaching people, and doing miracles \u2013 signs of his authority and generosity. <\/p>\n
I don\u2019t know what your usual pattern of Bible readings here is, I know that in the Anglican tradition, we don\u2019t often read two gospel readings in the same service, and there\u2019s some good reasons for that. One of unintended consequences, though, is that sometimes we miss the opportunity to compare and contrast two gospel passages, like the ones that we\u2019re looking at today, which bookend Jesus\u2019 time on earth with this friends and followers, his disciples.<\/p>\n
To give us a way in to our exploration this morning, I\u2019d like to look at two of the things that Simon says, and one thing that Jesus says.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s begin with Simon:<\/p>\n
\u201cMaster, we\u2019ve worked hard all night and haven\u2019t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets\u201d<\/p>\n
I wonder if you\u2019ve ever had that feeling in your life that you\u2019ve been working hard, that you\u2019ve been putting the effort in, that you\u2019ve invested in relationships, but nothing seems to be bearing fruit. It can be frustrating, can\u2019t it. If it goes on too long it can gnaw at our hope, our faith. As far as we know, this hadn\u2019t been a long term failure to catch fish for Simon, but you can imagine that if it did continue night after night, it would have been catastrophic for someone whose family\u2019s livelihood depended on him making a catch. I wonder how many bad nights he had to have before he started to worry.<\/p>\n
It can be particularly galling when you know what you\u2019re doing, but things still aren\u2019t coming together, and then someone who knows nothing about it starts making \u201chelpful\u201d suggestions. Or maybe that\u2019s just me. <\/p>\n
That is the headspace that Simon is in. He\u2019s tired, probably frustrated, maybe despondent. And then Jesus asks him to do something. First he asks if he can borrow Simon\u2019s boat. That\u2019s not such a big ask \u2013 Simon\u2019s not doing anything else with it, and Simon, presumably, says yes to Jesus. <\/p>\n
And then comes a bigger ask \u2013 \u201cput out your nets again.\u201d Simon is not so keen this time, but trusts Jesus, so does it anyway, and is rewarded with a huge catch. <\/p>\n
Simon\u2019s first \u201cyes\u201d to Jesus is a small one. The second is much bigger. It is a choice of obedience and trust when the request didn\u2019t make sense, and when Simon really didn\u2019t feel like it. And here\u2019s the thing. Obedience is only really obedience when it leads us to do something that we wouldn\u2019t have done anyway, and which we probably don\u2019t want to do. Trust is only trust when it involves a level of vulnerability and risk. I wonder what Jesus might be asking us to do that doesn\u2019t make sense to us, and which seems risky. Are we willing to say, with Peter, \u201cBut because you say so, I will let down the nets\u201d<\/p>\n
The second thing that Peter says that I would like us to consider this morning is his exclamation in reaction to the huge catch. Peter falls on his knees and says:<\/p>\n
\u201cGo away from me, Lord, I am a sinful man\u201d<\/p>\n
It seems to me that what we have here is one of the most damaging aspects of shame. Simon saw the power and authority of Jesus, knew that he wasn\u2019t worthy of Jesus, and was ashamed. And his response to feeling ashamed was to try and send Jesus away. <\/p>\n
This is exactly the same reaction as we find in the account of Eden. In Genesis 3 we read that Adam and Eve ate of the tree that God had commanded them not to eat, saw themselves in a new light, and were ashamed. And what did their shame lead them to do? They hid from God when God came to spend time with them in the garden. <\/p>\n
Shame can cause us to try and hide from God, to try and send God away. The irony is, that the only way that our shame to be dealt with is to invite God to come and deal with it for us. Either it\u2019ll be something that we have no need to be ashamed of, in which case the Holy Spirit will reassure us, comfort us, and heal us of that shame. Or, there will be something that we should rightly be ashamed of, and the Holy Spirit will enable us to experience and own God\u2019s forgiveness, won for us by Jesus on the cross. Either way, we do not need to be ashamed, and the best thing we can do with a feeling of shame is to bring it to God.<\/p>\n
We see an example of Jesus dealing with Simon\u2019s shame in the conversation on the beach after the resurrection. Simon comes to this conversation full of shame. He let Jesus down, by deserting him and then denying that he knew Jesus whilst Jesus was on trial for his life. Three times he had said, \u201cI don\u2019t know him.\u201d Jesus deals with Simon\u2019s shame by asking three times, \u201cDo you love me\u201d, giving him three opportunities to reaffirm his love.<\/p>\n
There are a couple of other things that I think are worth noticing. Simon swam towards Jesus. The reinstatement hadn\u2019t happened yet, and so the chances are Simon was still carrying shame, and yet he swam towards Jesus. He didn\u2019t run away, or hide. He swam towards Jesus. When we are ashamed of something, the only way to deal with it is to go towards Jesus. <\/p>\n
The other thing to notice is that it was a painful process for Simon. As Jesus repeatedly asked Simon whether he loved him, Simon was upset as he was brought face to face with the deep consequences for their relationship that his betrayal had caused. Dealing with things that have caused us shame may very well be painful, but the end result is freedom and reconciliation.<\/p>\n
And now, one of the things Jesus says:<\/p>\n
\u201cFollow me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jesus said this to the disciples before they even were his disciples, and to one of his best friends as he was preparing to leave him on earth, to carry on the work of the Kingdom. It is the recurring theme of the gospels, and the continuing command and invitation to all. \u201cFollow me\u201d <\/p>\n
It seems to me that everything else that Jesus says is summed up in these two words. <\/p>\n
\u201cCan I borrow your boat\u201d \u2013 \u201cFollow me\u201d
\n\u201cDon\u2019t be afraid.\u201d – \u201cFollow me\u201d
\n\u201cCast your nets on the other side\u201d \u2013 \u201cFollow me\u201d
\n\u201cCome and have breakfast\u201d \u2013 \u201cFollow me\u201d
\n\u201cDo you love me?\u201d – \u201cFollow me\u201d<\/p>\n
As we hear that invitation this morning will we, like them, without a word, rise up and follow him?<\/p>\n
I\u2019d like to draw my reflections on these episodes together with a poem inspired by them.<\/p>\n
Lake laps, people press
\nin to listen to Jesus<\/p>\n
Knotting nets, Simon sits
\nthere on the shore by Jesus<\/p>\n
Boat borrowed, words woven
\nover the waves, teaches Jesus.<\/p>\n
Next lesson, \u201cDraw deeper,
\nput out your nets.\u201d says Jesus<\/p>\n
\u201cNowt all night.\u201d Simon snips,
\n\u201cYet, for you, I will, Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n
Full of fish, nets strain.
\nHe falls at the feet of Jesus.<\/p>\n
\u201cLeave, Lord.\u201d Simon\u2019s sin says.
\n\u201cFear not, follow me.\u201d calls Jesus.<\/p>\n
Three years pass.<\/p>\n
Lake laps. Simon circles
\nback, \u201cI\u2019m going fishing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fellow followers
\njoin the trip, \u201cWe\u2019ll go with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Day dawns, stranger shouts,
\n\u201cChildren, nowt all night?\u201d \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYet you will find fish
\nif you cast nets to the right.\u201d<\/p>\n
Full of fish, nets strain.
\nEyes open, \u201cIt is the Lord.\u201d<\/p>\n
Simon swims shorewards.
\nOthers bring boat, nets behind.<\/p>\n
Huge haul, grace gifted.
\n\u201cCome, have breakfast.\u201d says Jesus.<\/p>\n
Bread broken, fish filleted,
\nJesus feeds them all.<\/p>\n
Jesus asks Simon,
\n\u201cDo you love me\u201d Once, twice, thrice.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d \u201cYes.\u201d\u201dYou know, yes.\u201d
\n\u201cFeed and tend my lambs, my sheep.\u201d<\/p>\n
Simon sees someone
\nelse. Asks, \u201cLord, what about him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is that to you?\u201d
\n\u201cYou follow me.\u201d calls Jesus.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I wonder how feel about the beach. I have a complicated relationship with beaches. I love walking along them, the vast horizons and the sea breeze. I enjoy sea swimming. But. To say that I don\u2019t like sand would be an understatement. When I arrive in glory, God and I are going to be having […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1353],"tags":[1354,1355],"class_list":["post-1054","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-wellington-methodist","tag-john-211-19","tag-luke-51-11"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carterclan.me.uk\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1054","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carterclan.me.uk\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carterclan.me.uk\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carterclan.me.uk\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carterclan.me.uk\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1054"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/carterclan.me.uk\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1054\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1055,"href":"https:\/\/carterclan.me.uk\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1054\/revisions\/1055"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carterclan.me.uk\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carterclan.me.uk\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carterclan.me.uk\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}