Sermon Tone Analysis

Easter 3

John 21:1-19

April 22, 2007

*“Expressions of Love”*

There is a very tender and moving scene in the play, /Fiddler on the Roof/.

Tevyev and his wife Golda are being forced to move from their home in Russia.

One day Tevyev comes into the house and asks his wife, "Golda, do you love me?" "Do I what?"  "Do you love me?"

            Golda looks at him and then responds: "Do I love you?

With our daughters getting married and this trouble in the town, you're upset, you're worn out, go inside, go lie down, maybe it's indigestion."

Tevyev interrupts and asks the question, "Golda, do you love me?" Golda sighs as she looked at him and says, "Do I love you?

For 25 years I've washed your clothes, cooked your meals, cleaned your house, given you children, milked the cows.

After 25 years, why talk of love right now?"

            Tevyev answers by saying, "Golda, the first time I met you was on our wedding day.

I was scared, I was shy, I was nervous."

"So was I," said Golda.

"But my father and my mother said we'd learn to love each other, and now I'm asking, "Golda, do you love me?" "Do I love him?"

Golda sighs.

"For 25 years I've lived with him, fought with him, 25 years my bed is his!

If that's not love, what is?" "Then you love me?" Tevyev asks.

"I suppose I do!" she says.

"And I suppose I love you too!" he says.

"It doesn't change a thing, but after 25 years it's nice to know."

            "Do you love me?"

This is the same question Jesus is asking Peter in the closing scene of the Gospel of John.

It is interesting to note that this closing scene is cast in the same spot where the first scenes of the gospel took place -- on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Once again Peter was back to his old occupation.

Once again Peter was back to his old way of life.

Once again Peter was back in his old fishing boat.

This is the life that he had before He met Jesus on that same Galilean coast.

This is the first place that Peter fell in love with Jesus.

But why was he there with the other disciples…well, they were waiting to see Jesus.

On Easter morning, one of the first things the angel said to the Mary’s was, "Do not be afraid.

Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.” Indeed, already on Holy Thursday night, as the Lord celebrated communion for the first time, Jesus told the Disciples that after His Passion, and resurrection, He would meet them in Galilee.

Our text tells us of this meeting.

~/~/~/ The Disciples were, probably, staying in  Capernaum, their old home town.

Just when, or how, they came there we do not know.

But apparently they were here some time before Jesus came.

One day, Peter says: "I am go­ing fishing."

And the others say, “We are going with you.”

Perhaps they only needed food, but maybe there was a lot more to it then that.

After all, they had been through a lot.

They had abandoned Jesus.

They had dis­graced themselves.

They had watched Him die.

After Jesus resurrection they had been surprised, overjoyed, but they were living in a daze.

It seems like they could not get a hold on themselves, couldn’t quite comprehend Christ’s resurrection, what it meant for their lives, or how they would even begin the great ministry that they had been commissioned with.

Perhaps they felt they needed to get away from it all for a little while; to let the wind blow through their hair, try to get their minds right.

Then Jesus came on the scene, and taught them, and especially Peter, a great lesson as Jesus expresses His love to the disciples, but especially to Peter.

Let us consider for a moment – The Question of Love.

Behold, listen up, pay attention because this is important.

Jesus asks a question of Peter, “Do you love me?

It was not simply a cool question about some one’s love.

“Do you love me” is a lover's question.

Jesus was not only anxious to be loved.

He wanted to be loved because He truly was the embodiment, the expression of God’s love for the world.

Love is made complete, even God’s love, as it is shared.

Jesus asked this question be­cause it is a question that only lovers share.

Just why Peter should have been the object of so much affection is, according to human standards, rather difficult to explain.

Did He deserve this love Jesus had given to him?

In past days He might of said yes.

He had been bold and impulsive, even reckless.

He had pledged to give his life for his friend, Jesus.

He had confessed that Jesus was the Christ.

That was then and this was now.

Now, I believe He understood that he did not deserve a love like Jesus.

Yet, even though he had expressed it so very poorly in his life actions, indeed, he did love Jesus.

The other Apostles were no better.

Yet these words applied to them as well…”Do you love me?”

It is difficult for us to grasp why He should love us, and want us to love Him.

But there is a reason.

Human beings are the products of God's workmanship.

We are His children, bearers of His image, we are part of His own being.

His life is the life of our life.

So God calls out to all of us.

We hear the question, “Do you love me.”

We must make note.

Jesus does not say, first of all, are you a Church member.

Do you go to Church?

Are you a stickler for certain formulas and ways that you think that church should be done or not done?

His first question is not what do you do, what do you give, how hard have you tried.

His first question is, “Do you love me, a person and your God? Do you trust me.

Do you have confidence in me?

Do you love me?

Let us turn now from Love's question to Love's Answer.

On this very shore, three years before, Peter had left all to follow Jesus.

He had had some glorious days.

He had had some trying experiences.

Now he was a traitor.

He had sinned grievously.

And the memory of it stabbed Peter's soul like a double edged dagger.

Jesus had met Peter briefly the first Easter morning.

It is generally believed that Peter was then assured of forgiveness.

But you know how these things are.

It is hard to believe the fullness, richness of God's gracious love.

Sometimes we have to be reminded of God’s love, grace, and forgiveness over and over.

Who of us is not haunted by what we have done in the past, in the betrayal of our Lord?

Peter had made mistakes.

This was not the only one, And Jesus would not make him, or anyone else, think it is of no consequence.

We remember that Jesus told the woman caught in adultery to go and sin no more.

Jesus takes sin seriously.