An Awkward Reunion--John 21:1-19

In this post-resurrection appearance of Jesus to his disciples, Jesus is calling them once again, as he did at the beginning of his ministry, to follow him. They are doing the same they were doing when Jesus first called them--fishing. Isn't it funny how God calls us, not while we're in church or immersed in a blissful, prayerful meditation, but when we are carrying out the mundane activities of our seemingly mundane lives. Better yet, Christ calls in the midst of our failure.

The disciples are fishing and haven't caught anything, and then a figure from shore suggests they try on the other side of the boat. They do and bring in a hugh catch. It's then that they recognize it is Jesus.

Peter, always the first one out of the boat, can't wait to row back to shore with all this fish, so he jumps in and swims to shore, leaving his buddies to wrestle with the fish. Jesus has prepared a fish breakfast for them (Eucharist?). Over breakfast, Peter and Jesus have the necessary conversation. You know the meetings you have with people who you've disappointed or had a disagreement with or an out-and-out fight with. This was one of those awkward conversations. Made more awkward by Jesus and Peter's inability, at least a first, to get on the same page.

Jesus asks Peter three times if Peter loves him. The first two times he uses the Greek word agape for love--you know, that divine, sacrificial kind of love. Peter responds, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Peter uses the Greek word phile for love--brotherly, friendship kind of love. Finally, the last time, Jesus also uses phile when he asks Peter if Peter loves him. And Peter responds that he does, using phile.

Maybe in the moment of reconciliation with the one who has denied him, Jesus was expecting too much. Maybe Peter was offering all the love he good give, though it wasn't perfect. I think Jesus finally was saying, Ok, whatever, Peter. That's good enough. Just follow me.

It doesn't take some miraculous, intense faith or love to follow Jesus and to feed his sheep. Whatever faith you can muster at the moment will do the trick. Thankfully.

The Breath of God--John 20:19-31

In this post-resurrection appearance of Jesus conveyed by John, Jesus enters a locked house (quite ghostly, non-physical) and stands among the disciples, saying, "Peace be with you" (twice). He then commissions them to go forth and serve him and breathes on them (quite physical) saying, "Receive the Holy Spirit."

And so John presents this Jesus who moves about miraculously--very different from his pre-resurrection movements--yet is clearly a physical body, as he breathes on them, speaks to them, invites them to put their hands in his wounds and ultimately eats with them. It is clear that John wants us to understand that Jesus' post-resurrection appearances were mysterious. The disciples were a bit bewildered by this new Jesus--was he a ghost or a man? They did not understand this Jesus and their role in proclaiming this Jesus until Pentecost.

I like the prayerful meditation where you imagine the breath of God breathing in you and through you as you breath. This is a useful scripture to introduce this contemplative practice. An good Old Testament text to use is from the Genesis creation story where God forms Adam from the dust of the ground and breathes the breath (Hebrew word ruach or spirit) of life into him and he became a living being (Gen. 2:7).

You are breathing God's breath. Breath deeply, joyously.