Gathered Unity!

THE GOSPEL lesson appointed for us on the Fifth Sunday of Easter is read from the witness of Saint John. In reading the gospel message we can grasp an echo of what Jesus had spoken on the way to the cross. We are reminded of the guidance given to the disciples before the Crucifixion, words that emphasize to us of spiritual oneness. We are to be one, like our predecessor saints in faith. We are to be in, but not of the world around us. We thus hear across the centuries from the gospel witnesses that the church gathers to love and worship God.., and to love one another.

“When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of man glorified, and in him God is glorified; if God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, 'Where I am going you cannot come.' 

 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:31-35)

Disciples on the Way

In this scripture, while the Last Supper is an event not offered by John, instead we have a transition to the farewell discourses that occurred in the Garden of Gethsemane. For John, the period we have here is surely transitional. The disciples in contrast to the same persons portrayed as sleepy followers described in the synoptic gospels, pay attention to Jesus. They want to hear… but are told that they cannot follow.

Without parallels in the gospels, therefore, this reading reveals a conversation about Jesus’ relationship to the Father. The text notes the glorification of the Son of Man. To glorify, by definition, is to accomplish honor for the Son of Man, and thus magnify the loving essence of Father and Son of God relationship. Therefore, realizing the being of Jesus as the fullness of humanity and fullness of God, here we witness the relational oneness in purpose as expressed in the Easter event. A duality of natures is thus reinforced, a duality which eventually lays the cornerstone for Trinitarian theology when the Spirit arrives upon the disciples. Within the Crucifixion and Resurrection events, unitized by the Johannine author, this central redemptive conversation is played out before all of creation, but especially is displayed for the early Church. The time of persecution is already upon them. A later text in the Johannine gospel, enhances these relational words...

“When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.  And this is eternal life.., that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work which you gave me to do; and now, Father, you glorify me in your own presence with the glory which I had with you before the world was made.”  (John 17:1-4)

The divine redemptive dance between the Father and Son is thus portrayed. In the Crucifixion and Resurrection all that was needed for human salvation was accomplished through Christ. But then, though not comprehended by the disciples, Jesus tells his followers that things are going to change. With rather endearing terminology, John’s parchment tells of Jesus affectionately describing all gathered as “little children” (teknia eti mikron). He thus set the stage for John’s churches. As children following their Master, their Teacher... understanding was not yet within their reach.
 He continued, “You will seek me, but as I said to the Jews I now say to you, “Where I am going you cannot come.”

 However, here again comes this term, as written “the Jews” (Ioudaiois) in the Johannine witness. The term becomes troublesome for many who wrestle with John’s witness. Historically, we find that if we use broad pen strokes in defining the identity of Hebrews for yesterday and today, the term leads to anti-Semitic rantings that are very much out of place. Some have carried this anti-Semitic language to foment travesty, which occurred during the Spanish Inquisition and more recent Nazi persecutions. These mistaken thoughts exist even today on college campus and more. Here we thus argue firmly against such views. For John, you see, the “Jews” had a more narrow and specific definition.

 Indeed, Jesus related in the gospel witness that things are going to change. For John’s community, and for us, the key meaning comes through the writer’s historical use of the “Jews” identification. If we receive the gospel within the context of its writing, we know that by the late 1^st Century, the Christian communities of John were being ostracized by certain Jewish powers within the synagogue communities. These were the “Jews” of whom Jesus spoke, and John writes. Many were those Jews who would never comprehend the gospel. However, we must also recall that John had numerous Jewish persons within the Church. The churches to whom he wrote was an entity that drew from Semitic, Greek and Roman populaces. These Jews are not discouraged in the Pax Romana, but were also lifted up.

By John’s day, however, certain Jewish authorities were persecuting the infant church, just as certain Jews persecuted Jesus unto death. This was being accomplished throughout the Jewish diaspora by synagogue leaders using the zealous Roman Empire oversight. Therefore, methods used for persecutions were primarily twofold, but used for multiple reasons.

 First, in the synagogue, the Christians were being separated from the Jewish orthodoxy by rabbinical fiat. For example, we note that the Christians communities were leading away many of the synagogue population, and likely considerable “treasury” along with them.  To make the case for reaction to this movement, we cite that within his book entitled, “History and Theology in the Fourth Gospel (New York, Harper and Row, 1968), author J. Louis Martyn notes that Jewish leaders were quickly moving to excommunicate Christians. We may guess that most synagogue leaders thought to get rid of them quickly, before greater damage could spread. As example, by 85A.D. in the city of Jamnia, under the authority of Rabbi Gamaliel II, it was decreed and standardized that pious Jews must recite the “Eighteen Benedictions”. In recitations of this text, heard was..,

 “for the apostates let there be no hope… And let the arrogant government be speedily uprooted in our days”.

 Also heard was..,

 “Let the Nazarenes (Christians) and the “minim” (heretics) be destroyed in a moment. And let them be blotted out of the Book of Life and not be inscribed together with the righteous.”

 If any Jew would falter in their recitation of the text during worship services, they would be immediately cast from the synagogue and separated from any community participation. As well, great social pressures were applied from civil authorities.

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 Those who were practicing Christian, as we note in Galatians, by virtue of their freedom in Christ no longer needed to remain “kosher”.  Thus we see that stalwart and religious Jewish businessmen would find it in their best economic interest to see heretics persecuted. If a Jew no longer had to buy “kosher” as a Christian convert, those kosher food and sundries dispensers who had their products blessed by the rabbi because they were considered as a pious butcher, baker and candlestick maker, would lose profitable trade. Thus historians lead us to see that the Christians were persecuted because of their non-conformity. They were eventually accused of “cannibalism” by Jewish detractors, in that it was known that the Christians received the Lord’s “body and blood” during the celebration of the Eucharist. Charges were laid thus against them in Roman courts.

 Hence we see that John’s gospel rails not against the Jewish people in general, for indeed many in his pluralistic community were Jews. Instead, using this generic term, the gospel warned through recollection… that for the time before the Resurrection, neither Jews nor Greek disciples could follow where the Savior was going. Jesus said they all could not follow. The gift of following to the cross was not the Lord’s to provide as he journeyed to Jerusalem. If it were not for the sending of the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, all hope for their following would be eternally lost. Instead, the gift of the Holy Spirit given at Pentecost was key.., and needful for the birth of the church.

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Witness in the Spirit!

In the midst of societal turmoil, therefore, we see that the Johannine gospel exhorted Christians of the early Church to understand how triumph is accomplished by God alone. This victory is not accomplished by human effort, or knowledge, but through faith given by the Holy Spirit. This faith will be witnessed in their sight. They are told to walk together toward that final day. And, by staying spiritually close, they shall be giving witness to others. Jesus said…

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

 I believe this mandate looms large in today’s environment as well, for we Christians have our faith challenged by established, but errant church entities. Our witness is also threatened by worldly powers of state who challenge the worship and social practices of those baptized into Christ. Surely, we as disciples are called by this message to gather, love God, and love one another. We keep in mind that the type of love demanded by our Lord is “agape”. Therefore divine and sacrificial, in gathering for worship and feeding upon the Word poured out and consumed, we are sustained and empowered through persecutions and our weariness. In this way, the Father who sent the Son into this world that we might be saved, shall guide his “little ones”. Having faith given by the Holy Spirit, our path onward into the future is laid out before us.

Clarion Call...

OUR GOSPEL lesson comes to us for the Fourth Sunday of Easter from the community of John. This lesson speaks to the whole church, especially those of us who now walk in faith after the story of the Resurrection has been told to us once more. It reminds us of the eternal truth which our Lord had earlier spoken, that we may now be guided forward in ministry…

It was the feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. 

 So the Jews gathered round him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."

 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are One." (John 10:22-30)

Looking Back?

The Jewish teachers in the temple gathered in the court of Solomon. They were upset that Jesus laid open claim to the title of “Good Shepherd”. The claim surely raised Jesus stature from an itinerant country rabbi, to one of the Messiah… the one appointed by God who had the power to guide God’s people. Those educated in the writings of the prophets thus could call to memory the sacred words...

“Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms, he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.” (Isaiah 40:10-11)

 The tumult challenged temple leaders, in that this event occurred during the anniversary of the Dedication of the Temple. The annual celebration marked the restoration of Israel’s temple and its centralized priestly power, after sacred items had been desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes in 164B.C. In the worldly power struggles of that earlier event, the temple had been looted, burned, and the blood of swine poured upon the altar. We can easily guess that the minds of those who exercised temple power in Jesus’ time feared tumultuous mood swings in the Jerusalem population. Those fears could be stirred by any rebellious shepherd trying to wrestle power from the priests… to form a power center that may give rise to the Romans acting similarly to Antiochus Epiphanes. The tension that this lowly teacher created was thus very threatening for many who listened, and yet soothing to those who considered themselves as downtrodden and powerless.

 You see, the foot of foreign domination was very heavy upon the neck of Israel… just as that captivity which they had felt in earlier times. Thus it was that the jealous priestly caste took great interest in what Jesus answered. There was much comfort at stake when they hypocritically asked him, “If you are the Christ, tell is plainly.”

 A prophet had foretold that our Lord’s answer as Messiah would surely come out as it did…

"For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when some of his sheep have been scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.”  (Ezekiel 34:11-12)

 With vested interest the scribes and priests heard Jesus’ answer with alarm. The statement that the powers in the temple heard from Jesus on that day challenged the very foundations of everything the priestly caste thought they had secured.

Centralized vs Diaspora?

The writer of John, as he related this event, communicated this scene to the various powers within his church during the latter days of the first century. “Why?” we might ask. We note rightly here that there are no parallels of these passages occurring in the synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark, or Luke. Thus should we assume that John had definite intent? Written in approximately 90A.D., what was the issue his communities exclusively encountered that made this telling so important?

 In response, if we consider the turmoil that was to come out of the gospel scribe’s setting, I think we may also acquire guidance for our own time. You see, Jesus’ confrontation as recorded in the Johannine text, likely brought forth memory to the writer’s Jewish audience…

"Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!" says the Lord.  Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: "You have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord. Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 

 I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, says the Lord. 

 "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely.” (Jeremiah 23:1-6)

We note here the movement from the plural “shepherds” to the singular “Righteous Branch”. In this citation, I find a key to the mind of John. For in the days of Antiochus, before the Jewish Temple destruction, great theological power struggles existed between the temple cult and those who attended synagogues in the Greek diaspora. The subsequent attack on the temple cult by the worldly political Antiochus kept Israel dispersed temporarily, and caused disorganization of the Temple cult. But the diaspora survived… and the cult rebounded through the warp and woof of Judean wars. They endured until the temple was restored.

 By the time of Jesus’ ministry, the restored temple powers had grown and zealously guarded against any further challenge. Thus Jesus’ very existence in their midst was a threat. Hence the cry soon came… Crucify him!

 In John’s day, therefore, the issue for the early church became… “What form should the infant Christian church rightly assume?” Should the infant Christian church be centralized? Or should it simply exist in the “haustafel” house churches. Or finally, “Should both carry the gospel forward?” Today, we in the church also rightly must ask these same questions.

 Surely I believe that the historical tensions of church polity were already at work for John, as evidenced not only here, but in the history of Paul’s dispute with Peter at Galatia many years earlier. With the early church nearly crushed in Jerusalem at the time of this gospel’s writing, the Christian communities had scattered, forming as removed from centralized Judaic temple influence. This occurred in answer to Roman attack on that structure. Then, with new church establishment and growth in various population centers of the Rome Empire, John may have been casting a wary eye upon those more powerful Christians who began to emerge in Rome’s own centralized “Portico of Solomon”

 I believe some bitter, stiff straws were being laid in the manger of John’s diaspora churches. His community stood on the thresholds of great Christological controversies that would challenge the faith expression. He pointed his communities beyond the homes, sheds and catacombs that sheltered each and every stubborn sheep who would try to lay private claim to the Lord’s mangers. He boldly challenged the growing church and pointed them back to the One who is the risen “Good Shepherd”. He boldly stated that Jesus Christ said of his sheep…

“…I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are One."

 Thus in John we hear this declaration that Jesus holds parity with the Father… that their will is the same. We need hear this in today’s world, for the church wrestles again with demons of power structure in both church and government. These parties pit the church of Christ over against those that would read onto scripture messages that which forward their own political causes upon the right interpretation of gospel message. I fear that we who are immersed in this turmoil often tend to lose our focus. I offer to all that in the fray, we as Christians within any denomination or fracturing thereof, need to remember what was told to us in John. Jesus said, “I and the Father are One”.

 We are therefore called by this text to stay as His sheep. We are all reminded toward that which the gospel of John says in his introductory Trinitarian preamble… “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God…”

  I echo this in the power of the Holy Spirit… that we are called to be the “one” apostolic church in Christ. We are called by scripture rightly-interpreted to be reconciled with God through Christ Jesus our Lord… even so while both sinful and forgiven. In this way we may yet work toward the proclamation of the gospel.

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An Enduring Menu...

DEPENDING ON your denominational ties, the text used for the Third Sunday in Easter comes to us from different sources. Here we shall study from the Epilogue of the Gospel According to Saint John. You may also use the text from Saint Luke which describes a meeting with our Lord on the road to Emmaus. If your lectionary order calls for this latter text, you can find discussion at:

 

 Road To Emmaus

 

 

 

 Here we study in this final chapter of John, which closes the gospel, and see that the Resurrected Christ Jesus supplied an echo to his followers from an earlier event, and thus provided his Church with a glimpse of their future in ministry. We read…

After this, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberi-as; and he revealed himself in this way.
 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathana-el of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 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.

 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.  Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any fish?" They answered him, "No."

 He said to them, "Cast the net on 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, for the quantity of fish. 

 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 clothes, for he was stripped for work, and sprang into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread. 

 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast."
 Now none of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

 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." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." 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." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." 

 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved 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. 

 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go." 

 (This he said to show by what death he was to glorify God.) And after this he said to him, "Follow me."  (John 21:1-19)

The Same, But Not the Same
In our study for this week, we read that our Lord Jesus gathered those who seemingly had assumed that even after all revelation they had witnessed, life was to go on as before Jesus’ ministry began. They adopted a “business as usual” lifestyle.  However, the Epilogue of John revealed otherwise are the plans of God.

 First, we see in the text a recollection that Jesus had done the fisherman’s evening dinner event previously with his followers. We know of at least one other occasion as recorded in Luke 5:1-11. There we find that Jesus acted similarly when the disciples were called into the work of the kingdom. Indeed, much ministry had occurred around the shores of the lake. Thus it may be safely assumed that such an occasion had happened regularly for them. It seems that fishing was their main source of communal sustenance. Dinners were a celebratory custom.
 The Lukan telling of this familial event is shorter and likely earlier in calendar than John. Therefore I believe that we may assume that in John, the message of this Epilogue’s later and longer, more detailed gathering... contained an additional message. The event subsequently stressed that the death and Resurrection of Jesus had not changed the call of his infant Church. As the Church had done before, so it would continue to do.

 Please note the symbolism used by this Johannine writer. Again the catch is bountiful only when Jesus’ instructions were followed. We note that the meal site was already prepared by Christ. The scene included water, fire, bread and fish, to which the catch of the disciples was added. Thus described in John, based upon the Lukan gathering, we may postulate that the fish already present for the meal represented the disciples themselves; whereas, the fish they caught on that post-Resurrection day… prophetically depicted those who are to be brought in the future gathering of his infant Church. Therefore, on this prophetic occasion… the followers are shown as those persons whom Jesus had called… who would still gather, be fed in community, and be empowered by the Holy Spirit to continue their witnessing… in spite of their own, self-perceived human limitations.

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 This claim I make is based upon the subsequent Johannine record of the conversation between Jesus and Peter. Here it was revealed how the mind of those in the early Church seemed to be stuck in denial, as though the divine occurrence had changed nothing. It revealed that the disciples were in need of empowerment. Jesus’ dialog with Peter revealed this captivity.

 When we read the text in English, we miss this very important Johannine nuance. This flavoring is demonstrated when Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me", By quoting as such in the Greek language, John related that the word “agape” was eventually used for by Jesus for “love”. This word is normally used to describe only a perfect or “divine” love. Examine the text closely! Peter answers Jesus in the affirmative, but instead... he answered Jesus question using the word “phileo” which means “brotherly” love. This indicated that he loved Jesus as a “brother”. So John subtly revealed to the reader that Peter had not even yet fully apprehended his teacher’s divinity as the Messiah. Peter then heard our Lord's call to feed the lambs. Was this because there were some in the early Church who favored the worship of Peter, or his supposed faith descendants?

 Jesus next repeated the question to Peter. Here it is not that Jesus’ misunderstood the first answer. Rather, this seemingly indicated that Jesus was not getting the answer our Lord wanted. Such was the infant Church’s inability. For that second query, Jesus received the same response from Peter. Jesus then repeated the feeding admonition.., but Peter was now progressively made responsible for feeding the not just the lambs, but the entire flock.

 Finally, it seemed as though Jesus relented of the testing. He asked Peter a final time. This happened in almost an echo of that found in the earlier writing of Mark... where Jesus asked the disciples three times, “Who do you say that I am? But in this scene's finality, Jesus conceded the lesson's point and lovingly used the disciple’s “brotherly” love term.

  

Now it seems to a casual observer that Jesus, possibly out of love, accepted that his disciples could not quite grasp the meaning of his divinity. As the discourse continued, however, it was revealed our Lord told his apostolic leader prophetically about a crucifixion event that had already occurred in the writing of this gospel witness. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we thus know that Peter would regain his faith in Jesus as the Christ of God, and lose his earthly life in service to the Church.

 You see, empowered unto the fullness of faith by the Spirit given at Pentecost, Peter and the other disciples successfully began great founding works of the kingdom. They encountered great amounts of risk and injury in their travels. When at last finally imprisoned, Peter was crucified unto death near Rome (c.68AD). We note also with astounding significance, that most of his brothers in the faith inherited similar persecution in other geographic locations. They had after all... faithfully... fed the sheep.

Being Fed for Mission!

We gather then that the final words of Jesus to his followers on that beach supply us with an early Eucharistic meal format. They and we are called to eat of the divine meal and then simply follow him. Consequently, as we who are now his followers enjoy the same Eucharistic remembrance and the actuality of Christ’s presence in the meal... we also take away from this reading the same sure call. We too receive the same admonition and instructions that he gave to the disciples on that day. The Risen Son of God, who yet gathers, enlightens and empowers his church through the Spirit of Pentecost, calls us to rise as well through the power of our baptism. Indeed, we who have now received baptismal covering which washes away sinful, self reliant nakedness acquired by wading through the world's polluted water.. now enjoy this wondrous gift given to us by Jesus. Held closely in our minds and hearts then, we carry that gift through heavy seas of sin and poor days of catch… until his glorious naves are full indeed. We are called to cast our nets, row our boats, and wade deep waters… knowing it shall be through the enduring power supplied by Spirit of God, that places persons around the warming fire of God’s love. So it is written, so shall it be.

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