04302022 – John 21. 1-19
Mark writes hastily the MEMOIRS and the STORIES from Peter to establish the FIRST gospel format. Matthew writes for a decidedly HEBRAIC audience. Luke attempts a more “accurate account” to be published for the GENTILE world.
AND THEN, there is John. He has the leisure to do his “own thing.” His preference is to “set himself apart.” And more importantly, to put forth a distinctly DIFFERENT VIEW of Jesus of Nazareth.
John’s gospel is known for some of its DETAILS. Odd though they sometimes may be, they are DETAILS, just the same.
Some scholars believe John to be a reliable and credible witness…who gives numerous “juicy DETAILS” of various events, because HE WAS PRESENT.
For example, only John, tells us of Jesus walking along SOLOMONS PORTICO in the Temple, and it was WINTER, he noted.
Only John, tells us of a bowl full of VINEGAR placed NEAR the FOOT of the CROSS of crucifixion.
Only John, tells of casting your nets on the “RIGHT SIDE” of the boat. Or Jesus sitting before a “CHARCOAL FIRE.” Or, the fact that the boat was “A HUNDRED YARDS away FROM LAND.” And, these were “LARGE FISH” and there was “153 of them.” Only John.
John would have us know, that he was PRESENT at the Cross of Crucifixion, while the rest ALL FLED.” He was present on that FIRST EASTER morning at the EMPTY TOMB. And he was present on the SEA of TIBERIUS. (Also known as the Sea of Galilee, or Lake Galilee.)
Scholars also have heavily debated whether or not this last chapter of John’s Gospel is an APPENDIX to the work as a whole or is it an EPILOGUE.
We have in our custody three very early ANCIENT MANUSCRIPTS of John’s gospel, referred to as being, ALEXANDRI-nus, SINAI-ticus, and VaticANUS all of which INCLUDE chapter 21, not as an epilogue or an appendix, but as actually a part of the gospel. So, it is considered to NOT be a later addition to the work. But, present, A PART OF, from the get-go.
Another cool DETAIL that I have missed is that the disciples have left the UPPER ROOM.
I mean they have REALLY LEFT the Upper Room. The scene before us occurs EIGHTY MILES to the NORTH. They are no longer IN Jerusalem and its environs. They PACKED IT all UP and WENT BACK HOME to Galilee. They are back on “home turf again.” Back to “the safety” of Galilee.
The disciples have REFRESHINGLY returned home. They’ve gone back to fishing. They’ve moved from the EMPTY TOMB to their BOATS, from the hidden tucked away HOUSE in Jerusalem to the FAMILIAR WATERS of the Sea of Tiberias.
They’ve traveled some 70 or 80 miles from the place of Jesus’ RESURRECTION and given themselves to their OLD ROUTINE of fishing.
They’ve returned to the SAME boats, the SAME nets, the SAME water, the SAME work. SAMENESS must have seemed to be a blessing at this point.
There seems to be more going on here than meets eye.
They FISHED through the DARKNESS but their nets were EMPTY. “That night they CAUGHT NOTHING.”
The DARKNESS, however was not just about the NIGHT SKY.
The darkness was also IN THE DISCIPLES.
In the same way, the EMPTY NET is NOT only descriptive of their fishing efforts it’s descriptive of THE DISCIPLES themselves.
THEY ARE as EMPTY as their NETS.
Who here hasn’t experienced DARKNESS and EMPTINESS and being TOTALLY DRAINED?
You know what that’s like, I am sure that you do.
You FISH, you WORK, you do your BEST but you still come up, EMPTY.
They had NOTHING ELSE to GIVE. They were MORE THAN WIPED OUT. They were EMPTY, DRAINED, EXHAUSTED.
NETS cannot be filled unless they are EMPTIED. WE cannot be filled unless we are EMPTY. The miracle begins when the nets and the fisherman are EMPTY.
Did you notice that all this happens just after daybreak? The dark of night has given away to the dawn of a NEW DAY, new HOPES, and new POSSIBILITIES.
In this Gospel. In John. Darkness DOES NOT WIN. Darkness cannot WIN.
LIGHT is always going to PREVAIL.
In the light of this NEW DAY, in the light of a FULL NET, in the light of 153 fish Jesus shows himself.
And they are like, “LOOK, it is the Lord!”
Jesus has called us, NOT into DARKNESS, but into the LIGHT of a NEW DAY, a NEW beginning, a FRESH START.
I tell you, when it comes to John, it’s all about the DETAILS.
Amen.