Going Deeper by Phil Kinney
SCRIPTURE John 21: 1-19
This week we commemorate Anzac Day: A day that has been seared into our collective national conscience. An event that has helped shape who we are as a people and a nation. The story of the Anzac’s has become apart of our identity, a defining characteristic.
The Australian newspaper says: “The image of the digger is derived from an intricate amalgam of qualities -mate ship, courage, compassion, endurance, selflessness, loyalty, resourcefulness, devotion, independence, ingenuity, audacity, coolness and larrikinism”. (Stephen Matchett of The Weekend Australian, April 24-25, 2004, 29.)
The soldiers gave their life to defend this nation from danger, answering the call to preserve Society's values and in so doing left home and all that they had known because of their beliefs, values and perceptions of doing something for the great good.
The qualities that underpin all of this is courage and the ability to take risks, that is a preparedness to step into the unknown, a preparedness to leave what is secure and embrace uncertainty in the hope of a more positive outcome.
This concept of risk permeates our scriptures
• Abram (later Abraham) being asked to leave his county, his family and to go on a journey so that God can bless him and a make him the father of a great nation.
• Moses – facing Pharaoh at risk of his life to free the people from slavery
• Joshua – attacking one of the worlds most fortified cities with trumpets and song
• Saul in the Acts of the of the Apostles is taking the risk of engaging with the Christ, which we will see becomes a paradigm shift resulting in changing his whole way of being, his whole way of thinking, his whole identity and his whole world. Saul becomes Paul.
• Paul – taking on dangerous missionary journeys – shipwrecks, beatings, stoning, and ridicule.
Jesus risks challenging the old law so that he can bring in the new lore of love and promote the reign of God.
The concept of risk is also present into today's Gospel.
Simon Peter said, "I am going Fishing"
“Gone fishing” it could be a typical Australian response to this or any situation, yet this is how the disciples choose to respond. Where they disappointed so they went off fishing or was it because they were so overwhelmed by the events of the crucifixion and resurrection, or was it because the words of Jesus were ringing in their ears:
“Peace be with you, as the Father sent me so am I sending you”. (John 20:21)
Were they feeling overwhelmed by the work that lay ahead of them, contained in these words?
Or where Simon – Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, the sons of Zebedee and two unnamed disciples simply wanting to rest and enjoy being a small community of believers, who where engaged in the familiar, the ordinary and the comfortable, hence going fishing.
Yet God uses the ordinary routine of going fishing, to do a number of things.
• Firstly Jesus re-establishes his authority over the disciples and the community, which is summed up, by his presence, his words and his actions.
• And secondly he challenges them to take a risk. A risk that can be experienced physically, spiritually and emotionally.
Physically: because the disciples had been out fishing all night on the Sea of Tiberius or lake Galilee on a sea that could be rough, windy and unpredictable because of its size and character so they may have been tired, drained and disappointed because they had caught no fish. So to be asked to cast their net on the other side must have pushed their physical endurance to the limits and so risking not only their livelihoods but their lives as well, and this is just the beginning.
Spiritually they are being challenged to recognize Jesus again and understand who he is and
What is he doing amounts them, the risk is do they love him once more, do they cry out It is the lord,
Do the disciples risk going deeper into the sea of faith and so leaving the deceptive comfort of the shallow water?
Emotionally do they allow themselves to be vulnerable and open to their feelings and yet they take the risk of moving from disappointment to joy in believing.
The statement that Jesus said
"Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some." becomes for us also a challenge and an invitation to risk and explore what God is asking of our faith and us.
What is the deeper water that God is asking us to enter into, what is the risk we are being asked to encounter or conversely what is it that keeps our Faith and our selves in the shallow waters.
The hope is this if like the disciples we take the risk of going deeper we will also share in the miracles and blessing that follow. The miracle of not having the net break, the miracle of the abundance of fish, the miracle of sharing in the divine presence, the miracle of a greater knowing of who is Jesus and so being able to follow him more dearly, the miracle of being able to tend his sheep.
So may the spirit of courage that was present with the Anzac soldiers be apart of our faith and life journey, may we always recognize the divine voice which is forever calling us to take up risk and move out of the shallows waters and cast our net into the deeper water.
TALK ABOUT
Try these discussion-starters about this week’s topic:
• How can you “take the risk” and share your faith?
• In what ways can you take risks for God?
• Have you committed to the 7 day challenge or reading your bible and praying daily? How is it going? Is it beneficial?
