Broiled Fish, Anyone?

Luke 24:36b-48

Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.  While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.

Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. 

This is the third week the lectionary devotes to resurrection. On Easter Mark’s version is an open-ended cliff-hanger leaving us to continue the story. Last week was John’s version where Jesus appears the disciples and breathes upon them. Today we have Luke’s version. And what stands out to me is that the disciples serve Jesus broiled fish to prove he isn’t a ghost. It is an interesting detail. Not unusual, but interesting, especially since I’m not fond of fish!

Born and raised on Long Island you would think that I would love to eat fish. I don’t!! My dislike for fish probably comes from the experience of having a father who loved fishing on the ocean. He was often invited to go fishing with his customers who’d hire a party boat and off they would go early in the morning. He’d bring blue fish home to be cleaned gutted, and filleted.  Then Mom would fry them up in a pan.

If you’ve had some experience with eating blue fish you will know that they can be very bony and oily; can taste gamey; and have a strong odor when they are being cooked. Personally, to me, they taste and smell like low tide! If you can imagine that! At the dinner table Mom and Dad would tell us to look out for the bones. You don’t want to get them caught in your throat or swallow them, they’d say. And so, I developed a fear about eating fish. Now, that may not be your experience, but it was mine. And, I have never liked eating fish.  

On the other hand, if I was raised at the time of Jesus, I probably would have been raised on fish and my experience would have been very different. We know that at least four of the disciples—Peter, Andrew, James and John—were fishermen who left their boats to follow Jesus. 

Gail Ramshaw, author of the book, Treasures Old and New: Images in the Lectionary states that, “The biblical use of fish is not only a narrative detail about people’s livelihood and means. Religion in the ancient world used the fish as a image of divine life, which helps account for the connections between the image of fish and Christ’s resurrection.” Ah broiled fish! Maybe that is why Luke includes this detail in his resurrection account. This brings us to our gospel lesson today. 

In Luke’s account, the disciples are huddled together behind locked doors. Their greatest fear has become a reality when Jesus was arrested and put to death. They are afraid that the authorities will  come after them and what happened to Jesus will happen do to them. They’d also been hearing some strange reports that Jesus is alive. Could they possibly be true?

Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them report that they found the tomb open and Jesus’ body was not there. Instead two men in dazzling clothes appear and tell them that Jesus has risen. They remind the woman that while Jesus was still in Galilee, he told them that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” It jogs their memory and they go and tell the eleven what they found. Peter gets up and runs to the tomb. He finds the linen cloths by themselves, but Jesus is not there and he goes home, amazed.

Then the disciples hear that Cleopas and another disciple were on the way to Emmaus when a stranger meets up with them.They recount their story to this stranger, who they do not yet recognize as Jesus. Jesus reminds them of all the things about himself that were told in the scriptures. They still do not recognize him. It isn’t until they invite Jesus to their home; share a meal with him; and as Jesus takes the bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to them, their eyes are opened. Now they recognized that it is indeed Jesus. And then, POOF! He vanishes from their sight. They make their way to Jerusalem to report to the eleven what their experience with the risen Christ has been.

So the disciples are struggling to take in all these strange, fantastic reports of “Jesus sightings.”  They wonder what it all means. And then, all of a sudden, Jesus appears in their midst and says to them, “Peace be with you.” Startled and terrified they think they are seeing a ghost! Jesus, continues, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?” He shows them his hands and feet. “Look it is me,” he says.Touch me and see.” A ghost doesn’t have flesh and bones as I have.”

The disciples react with joy, disbelief and wonder. To dispel the disciples’ doubts and fears and because is hungry, Jesus asks them, “Have you anything here to eat? What do they have to offer Jesus? A piece of broiled fish! Broiled fish anyone? Yes, I’ll have some, Jesus says. He takes it and eats it. Then Jesus reminds them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” 

Then he opens their minds to understand the scriptures, and says to them, “It is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day. Repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”

In this passage, we see that Jesus’ visitation has a twofold purpose: First is to enlighten the disciples about the Christ. And, second is to commission them to preach the gospel.

So, what is the message for us today? Here’s the bottom line! God seems powerless and absent in the face of ongoing suffering and pain. Despite the efforts of well-intentioned, generous, and sensitive persons, the world remains oppressive and inhospitable for many. 

In his book Search for Common Ground, Howard Thurman reminds us that “the contradictions of life are not final or ultimate.”  God is the giver of forgiveness and mercy, and peace. We live in hope that order, well-being, hope, compassion, and love might yet prevail.

This week the confirmation class was learning about the difference between the Theology of the Cross and the Theology of Glory. As Lutherans, we understand that the Theology of the Cross adheres to the belief that wherever there is inhumanity, exploitation, discrimination, and hopelessness, Jesus shows up offering comfort, and assurance. Jesus invites us to be witnesses to God’s intention to bring peace, unity, harmony, love, compassion, grace, justice, and mercy to a world that is broken and sinful. Jesus’ post-Easter appearances assure us that God is alive and working on behalf of wholeness and community.

So, today’s gospel lesson challenges us to think about the following questions: What in our communities needs the presence of the risen Christ? What kinds of experiences and understandings do we need so that we can be credible witnesses to God’s activity in the world? What is our communal response to God’s presence and work in the world? How do we participate in God’s work on earth?\

For you see, Jesus commissions us to declare the presence and power of God in the midst of tragedy, despair, and death. And to proclaim that they are not ultimate. Jesus has conquered them. There is hope because we are God’s beloved children. God’s intention is to redeem creation and us. The risen Christ makes himself known to us in ways large and small as he did in receiving the disciple’s offering of a piece of broiled fish, and in pieces of bread and drops of wine as we receive his grace in Holy Communion. 

As people of faith, we are witnesses to Christ’s presence among us, in our words and in our deeds.

As I said before, Gail Ramshaw informs us, “Religion in the ancient world used the fish as a image of divine life, which helps account for the connections between the image of fish and Christ’s resurrection.”  Since fish is a symbol of Christ’s resurrection, I ask you this…Broiled fish anyone?

In Jesus name, Amen.