The Barbecue

The Gospel of John (21:1-14) gives us a peek into the reality of life with our post-resurrected Jesus. 

It’s kind of a man thing. A barbecue on the beach with fresh caught fish. What better way to feed his men, his shepherds to be, his gang, his apostles carrying his love and hope, the very ones on whom He must depend on to share His words and stories, to be his ministers, his heirs for righteousness.  

It’s these normal guys - Simon Peter, Thomas the Twin, Nathaniel of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee (remember them - wanting the priority treatment) - and two other unnamed disciples. About seven all together are hanging out in the sea of Tiberius where they fished most days and nights, I guess, having returned to their labors thinking - although there were rumors He was alive - that Jesus was supposedly dead, hidden, risen, or whatever they could believe. They didn’t know what to do but go through the motions. Gotta eat. Gotta work. Gotta think about all the things they have just been through.  And maybe, even, they gotta hide, if Pilate and the police and military are searching for them, they didn’t know. 

But, they had to eat. And fishing, their trade, what they were supposed to be experts at - well, that wasn’t going too well. Their current status was that they hadn’t caught a thing. It’s a dilemma most fishermen confront at some point in their fishing stories. And then, Wow. There was a man standing in the sand on the shore who had a primitive barbecue pit set up - and the wood was burning, becoming coals that could heat up a good toasted, smokey, fried fish - Hunger must have set in. They had been up all night trying to pull in nets that carried something to satisfy their starvation. Nothing in the sea of fish had showed up.

Then this gentleman who they didn’t seem to recognize at first, asked, “No luck?” I’m sure their heads dropped down in despair. “No,” one said. And the man they didn’t recognize at that moment - of course they weren’t expecting to see Jesus again - seemed to have a solution - how easy it was there on the shores.

Jesus continued: “Cast that net to the right side of the boat. You’ll drag in quite a few on that side.” And they, probably thinking, what does this guy know, swung the net from one side of the boat to the other and before they could take a deep breath, it seemed, their nets were overflowing, so much so they could hardly pull them in. It was Abundance. Victory. It was a miracle. 

That should have been a quick clue. This man in the sand on the shores of the sea could make things happen. And John said to Peter  “It’s the Lord!” And they all got together to pull in the weighty net jammed with jumping fish, 153 large fish.

And there Jesus sat, waiting for them beside his homemade barbecue pit in the sand. Bread and fish already cooking on it. And He said, “Come let us share breakfast.”

He didn’t judge who they were, what they looked like, their skin color, their dress style, their likes and dislikes, their faith or lack of it - Jesus invited them all for He knew who they were and He loved each one equally. Jesus himself actually served the fish and bread to them. And then it had finally dawned on Simon Peter that this really was their Lord, their Jesus, our Jesus, the one who still feeds us today if we just pay attention to him. I don’t know if they sat down in the sand to eat or not. But in the Gospel, suddenly Jesus speaks.

He brought up the question of Love - He asked Simon Peter, son of John, “Do you love me more than these others love me?” And Simon Peter said, “Of course. You know that I love you.” 

And Jesus said, kind of surprisingly, “Well, then, feed my lambs.” Not feed my lambs to someone. But feed those who are MY lambs, the people who are young, new, and needy and seeking the right path in life. These need to be fed with Jesus’s message, His gospel, His unceasing and powerful love. These are the ones who have been gifted with hope and insight. And if you think about it, this could be Jesus’s first step of gifting his leadership to Peter, who becomes as we all know, the first Catholic Pope, the carrier of the Keys of the Kingdom.

Then Jesus asked that same question again - “Hmm,” I bet Simon Peter, son of John, thought. Maybe Jesus hadn’t heard him. “Yes, Lord. You know that I love you.” He was obviously not aware of why Jesus was testing him. Jesus had addended His first question with - “more than these others” - did that mean the current group, the other disciples, or whom? We can only surmise 2000 years later.

Then Jesus said, “Tend to my sheep!” Were sheep the older more complicated folks of life? The parents. The workers. Those who are needy and sick. Those without hope or maybe even love. Tend to my sheep, he tells Peter. Take care of them.

I bet the rest of the men, probably stuffing themselves with the barbecued fish, were not paying too much attention to the conversation. Then Jesus asks that question again - and it was hurtful to Peter - did Jesus not hear the answer, did he, Peter, not answer correctly, was he insulting Jesus.

And Jesus said, the third time, “Feed my sheep.” That was more powerful than just tending to them. Peter probably wanted to say, “Dang it, Lord, I have told you three times I Love you more than anything.” That He, Jesus, knows everything and shouldn’t even have to ask such a question. 

And then Jesus explained, reminding them it was His truth - when you are a young man or a boy you strap on your belt yourself and go where you wanted to go. You were healthy and confident in yourself, your faith, so to speak. But when you grow old, Jesus said, you will need help - someone will have to fasten your belt around you, and take you where you do not wish to go. It’s like prison. There is no freedom. When you have to die, you die.

Now what does this mean? The gospel writer notes it referred to the kind of death by which Jesus himself suffered to glorify God. He was going to His Death, being led by others whom had powers to take him where he didn’t want to go, like putting a leash on a dog who has no choice when the master insisted - because it was vital that Jesus give up his powers, his life - even though he was only 33yrs-old. Jesus had to ascend, to go, to physically disappear, in order for all He had done, spoken, suffered, loved, and even shared in both the cup of wine and body of bread and now the barbecued fish with them - all this is done. And really done well. 

And after all was said and done, was consumed and proclaimed, after the ministry, the baptisms, the feedings, the tendings to all people, the teaching about love and that all men and women are loved equally by Him through his Father - that we all are His - no matter what our circumstance - in his short time left here, now He tells those surrounding him in that hour: “Follow me!” 

That’s what He wants us to do. Be like him. Follow him. Speak like him. Share like him. Love like him - love three fold - like He insisted Peter did for him. Never be afraid to say you love someone over and over and over again. All people. Not just the easy ones. Tell someone whom you don’t know that you love them. Tell them that You get joy and strength and blessings from them, and you hope to give those gifts back to them. It’s the give and take of love. Jesus love. 

Thank you Jesus for this message. You have clothed us with joy so our hearts sing to you without ceasing. O Lord God, O Jesus, We will give thanks forever to you, for you, for our Easter. Amen.
 
 ~ Rev
---------------------------------
audrey@audreytaylorgonzalez.com
www.audreytaylorgonzalez.com