Third Sunday of Easter: Gospel, John 21:1-14                

John 21:1-14 

Fishing stories seem to gain people’s attention. At least the attention of those who love fishing. But I think it even spreads beyond that demographic. Everyone loves to hear of a little boy reeling in a whopper. And equally true, most love the stories of immense effort and sweat used to land a giant only to have it slip from the angler in the final moments of the battle. Frustrating though it may be, the battle of man vs. the sea and its treasures rank high on the scale..

Today’s gospel text is a fishing story. And while labor and effort certainly have their place in this narrative it is the gentle man, not in the boat, but on shore who is the main actor here. Along with fishing, a prominent theme in the gospels is feeding. Fishing and feeding seems a natural pairing and it is so here. And before the feeding there is the calling. The man on shore, at the outset unidentified in the minds of the fisherman, bids them come. And since at his word, they have garnered a nearly miraculous catch, they listen and obey. One other detail. When the man bids them come he calls them “children.” Imagine calling this rag-tag bunch of day laborers, children. But respond they do, and all the way to the one calling from shore.

There they find this man that some finally recognize as the risen Savior and what has he done? Prepared a meal to feed them. Doesn’t it seem he is always about feeding us? And not in some gluttonous orgy of food, but in a way of care. Food for the body, yes. But food for the soul in greater measure. He feeds us each Sunday that we gather at our beaches, having returned from the toil of our week to find food. The food of the Word of God and the food of his precious body and blood given and shed for the forgiveness of our sins. Now that’s the Savior. I think I’m getting hungry.