Scripture: John 21:1
Later, Jesus himself appeared again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. This is how it happened:
Thought for the Day: Did you know that the Sea of Tiberias is just another name for the Sea of Galilee? Do you refer to that beverage that comes in a can as Soda or Pop? It tends to be a regional thing, and the same was probably true in the latter part of the first century. For this reason, the language chosen by the author of the Gospel probably tells us something about the audience of the Gospel. If you are writing what you believe to be the single most important story ever told, you don’t want to be tossing around geographic locations that leave people asking, “Where’s that?” You don’t want to distract from the key story. It might sound insignificant, yet it encourages me to be very aware of my own language. The staff often hears me talk about Worship Stoppers. There are certain words and phrases that cradle Christians toss around. These words and phrases appear in our music and prayers, yet if you do not know the context, they can often leave a person asking questions about the word or phrase when that was the least important thing. Unless I am preaching specifically on the “blood of the lamb,” I tend to stay away from that phrase. A new person to this Jesus thing is going to hear some casual reference to the blood of the lamb and wonder what is in those goblets on the table in the front of the sanctuary. What did these people do an hour before worship? Suddenly the person’s mind is not in the place we want it to be. To talk about the “blood of the lamb” requires a lengthy discussion on the Exodus and the Passover, but it also requires us to confront some really bad theology from the 11th and 12th century that continues to influence us today. I have often told people: Instead of going down the wormhole of theological linguistics, just tell people that they are beautiful and precious gifts of God. We can get to the lamb thing later.
Prayer: You, O Merciful God, made things very simple in your gift Jesus. Why is it that we complicate it? Let me keep my message simple, letting love drive everything. This I pray in the name of the Lamb whose blood was shed on Calvary for the wretchedness of humanity’s moral and venial sins that seek to thwart the advent of your eternal transcendence. Amen. …or maybe I’ll just pray in the name of Jesus whose love even includes those of us whose pride likes to throw around complicated theological terminology. Amen.
