Breakfast from Chad Herring on Vimeo.
A meditation preached at Southminster Presbyterian Church of Prairie Village, Kansas. April 14, 2013.
Revelation 7:9-17
and John 21:1-19
* * *
I really like how NT Wright reminds us
of the beauty, the serenity
painted for us by the Gospel writer in this scene this morning:
The level of the lake has dropped now,[i]
but you can still sense what a lovely place it is…
You can still get a sense, in the little place called Tabgha
just west of Capernaum,
of what it must have been like that morning.
It was, and still is when the tourists aren’t there, a quiet place,
on the north shore of the sea.
It’s quite a distance from the major town of Tiberias.
It is still enough to hear the water lapping at your feet.
The colour of the sky, reflected in the lake, gives you
double the effect of the spectacular sunrise,
the great fiery ball coming up over the Golan Heights.
The day dawns of new beauty and possibility.
That is part of what John is telling us in this story (Wright explores).
Notice how, once more, he draws our attention to dawn…
as he points to the risen Jesus.
* * *
This story at the end of the Gospel according to John
is a favorite.
In part, its because of the tranquil scene.
After the rush of the previous chapters: the entry to Jerusalem,
the final supper shared and the humble washing of feet
by the master
the arrest, the trial, the death, the burial
and even the first two resurrection appearances
to Mary, weeping at the tomb
to the disciples, locked, frightened, sequestered
having to touch to see….
This story, by stark contrast, is out in the open.
It is a resurrection appearance, yes, but the feel is so very different.
It is early morning, a new day.
It is quiet, and peaceful.