READINGS

 Acts 9:1-20

Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 For three days he was without sight and neither ate nor drank.

10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem, 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; 16 I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, ²⁰ and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”

  

·       John 21:1–19

After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he showed himself in this way. 2 Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

4 Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he had taken it off, and jumped into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.

9 When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them, and though there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Jesus and Peter

15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” 19 (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”

 

 

SERMON

In my mind I see that both Peter and Paul are the most important of the founding leaders of the Christian Church. They both died in Rome and if we went there today we would see that the two most important churches would be St Peter’s Basilica (over Peter’s Tomb) and the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls (built over Paul’s tomb.) Although possibly now the last resting place of Pope Francis could arguably be more popular.

 On thing that we often overlook is the profound interaction of these two men with the risen Christ.

 In the passages we heard this morning we have two stories of conversion experiences. Peter’s might be better described as a re-conversion experience. Saul’s story perhaps better fits our traditional ideas of conversion.

 Saul, as he was known at that time, was one of the main persecutors of the fledgeling Christian movement until a blinding flash of light knocked him to the ground. This is perhaps the best known of the New Testament conversion stories. In many ways people have tried to make it some sort of template for people having a conversion experience that they to need fit into today.

 I think that Jesus meets each of us at significant points in our faith journey and the reality is that no two conversion stories are the same. Although, looking at each of the conversion stories, what we heard today might seem different there are some similarities and looking more closely at these stories might help clarify our own faith experiences.

 Central to their accounts is the experience of forgiveness at the hands of the risen Christ. Perhaps this comes out more profoundly in the passage about Peter.

 In the first reading today the voice said: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Saul we are told had been a fervent persecutor of the fledgling Christian community trying to stamp out those who deviated from his ideas of strict Judaism. The high priests seemed to like his aggressive approach to stamping out Christians. Then came that day when Saul was blinded and knocked to the ground in his encounter with the risen Christ.

 Saul would have been expecting retribution, much like he had been handing out to those he had persecuted. He would have expected humiliation and punishment, even death for his opposition to Jesus. However there was no violent reprisal. He had a time of reflection then grace.

 Now let’s turn to Peter. He had been a fisherman, not a rabi with a theological background. Peter knew how to fish and not a lot about theology. Then on that fateful night he had ended up in the middle of the mob filled with bloodlust and he was completely overwhelmed. So the faithful disciple who had been so strident in his loyalty to Jesus lost his nerve and pretended that he didn’t know Jesus.

 Peter didn’t just deny Jesus once, but three times! There is a saying that all it takes for evil to prosper is for good people to turn away and say nothing. This is exactly what Peter had done that fateful night.

 When you balance these two thoughts we see a whole new approach. Even in our own country there are horrible abuses being perpetrated. Most of the time I do nothing more than reflect on them over my morning coffee. I don’t need the cock crowing three times to make me realise that in some ways I am no better than Peter in denying our Lord. Peter did nothing more that night apart from fleeing into the darkness as a broken man.

 How could he ever hope to face Jesus again? But that was not going to happen as Jesus was dead and buried in a tomb. It sometimes seems easier for us to try to forget our mistakes than face up to the consequences. It is so much easier to move on hoping that no-one else notices.

 Now we come to that morning on the beach. Jesus is casually cooking some fish for breakfast on a charcoal fire and calls on Peter to join him. This is where the insights of John’s writing comes  out.

 Where was Peter when he denied Jesus? Beside a charcoal fire in the Chief Priest’s courtyard! Now a few days later where is Jesus when He calls to Peter? Standing by a charcoal fire!

 If we want to look through John’s Gospel we find that these are the only two references to charcoal fires in that Gospel.

 We can recall that Peter denies Jesus three times on that Friday. In this passage Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves Him! It is just like Peter is being taken back to that fateful night in the High Priest’s yard.

 Jesus is in no way trying to rub Peter’s nose in that failure, Jesus has clearly forgiving him for his human frailty. Jesus is about more than just ‘forgive and forget,’ which is not a Biblical phrase anyway. There can be a lot of misunderstanding about forgiveness which can cause a lot of confusion.

 Forgiveness does not mean that the issue is forgotten. It is not a matter of trying to ignore some issue. In fact by trying to ignore some problem from the past we often build up more problems in our lives.

 Jesus’ message is not about sweeping issues under the proverbial carpet. His message is centred on mercy and forgiveness. Real forgiveness is about bringing the issues into the light of day and then choosing not to seek bloody revenge on the perpetrator. Instead, there is room to offer love and grace, allowing everyone involved to restart their lives wiser and stronger. Jesus did not hide His wounded hands and try to pretend that nothing had happened.

 Jesus reaches out with His wounded hands and embraces us fully as we are. It is in accepting that embrace from His woundedness that we receive forgiveness just as Peter did that morning on the shore.

 As Peter stood beside the charcoal fire with Jesus on that momentous morning there is no superficial forgiveness. Jesus is not only seeking to heal the pain but also to set Peter free to be his community leader. This cannot happen unless there is a direct correlation with the agony of the denial that fateful night. If the incident was glossed over then it would have forever been festering in the background.

 For true healing to occur Peter and Jesus needed to connect and accept the pain of that night and then move to healing in the presence of the charcoal fire by the shore. “Simon Peter, here by the charcoal fire reminding us of that other event, do you love me?”

“Yes Lord, You know that I love you.”

 This is an excruciatingly painful encounter for Peter. By the third time Jesus asking the question John tells us that Peter was in anguish. It was in the painful realisation of the charge that he was now given that Peter not only experienced forgiveness but he also took up that charge to head up the early church.

 Every Sunday as I lead worship I include a period of confession in our prayers. I think that some people wonder if it applies to them. Haven’t we been forgiven already in the Resurrection? The answer here is yes, but Jesus also wants to help us heal as we face up to our current shortcomings.

 A few years ago after the Apartheid Regime was toppled in South Africa, there was a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The concept came from Jesus’ helping us to face our wrongdoing. The forgiveness that comes from facing up to wrongs is the point where new life can begin. This proved to be the case in South Africa.

 Just ask those who have been part of 12 Step Programs like AA and NA. Denial stops us from having a foundation on which a new life can begin. New life begins from facing up to our failures and honestly seeking forgiveness.

 In the truth-seeking words of Jesus: “Do you love me?” we can all stand beside Peter as he addressed his failings face to face with the risen Jesus. Forgiveness is more than a few words. Just like Saul as he was knocked down on his persecuting journey the real forgiveness comes from our actions.

 Real forgiveness is not in words, but in actions, and what more radical expression of forgiveness could there be than Jesus saying:

“I want you to be my representative.

Tend my sheep.

Proclaim my message.

I entrust my flock and my mission and my reputation to you.”

 I’m not pretending that you didn’t deny me or persecute me, but because we have revisited that and in the face of that, you have given me your love, and I so I have no desire to see you humiliated or punished. Come, be free, and look after my people, be my representative, feed my sheep.”

 As we sit here today thinking of a charcoal fire we are invited to share a meal with the Risen Christ. Christ reaches out to us in the broken bread shared from wounded hands. Like both Peter and Paul we are invited to honestly face up to our failures as we approach the sacrament of communion knowing that in that honesty we are granted graceful forgiveness and membership of that wonderful group that Christ has invited us to be part of.

 

• MAY LECTIONARY

   

May 4              Acts 9:1-6, (7-20)

                        Ps 30

                        Rev 5:11-14

                        Jn 21:1-19

 

May 11            Acts 9:36-43

                        Ps 23

                        Rev 7:9-17

                        Jn 10: 22-30      

 

May 18            Acts 11:1-18

                        Ps 148

                        Rev 21:1-6

                        Jn 13:31-35

 

May 25            Acts 16:9-15     

                        Ps 67

                        Rev 21:10, 22-22:5

                        Jn 14:23-29 or

                        Jn 5:1-9