Harold Jack Schumann Funeral Sermon – John 21:1-14 July 20th 2024 / Living With the Promise

Harold Jack Schumann funeral Sermon / Mount Olive Lutheran Church / Pr. Ted A. Giese / Saturday July 20th 2024: Season of Pentecost / John 21:1-14 “Living With the Promise”

After this Jesus revealed Himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and He revealed Himself in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael 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 shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have 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, because of the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 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 in place, with fish laid out 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, 153 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.

Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in Your sight O Lord. Amen.

Grace peace and mercy to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Good Christian Friends and family of Harold Jake Schumann our Gospel reading for today ends with Saint John saying “this was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after He was raised from the dead,” the first time was on that first Easter Sunday, this one happened within the forty days of then before His ascension into heaven. Jesus risen from the dead after His brutal Good Friday crucifixion and death becomes the very promise of our resurrection from the dead. A promise first made to our sainted Harold in his baptism in March of the year he was born.

What does it mean to live with a promise? What kind of impact does living with a promise have on a person’s life? There are of course different degrees of promises in our life; from pinky swears to wedding vows we make promises and some of these promises the World sees as unimportant, yet for us the importance of a promise really revolves around how important you think the person is that’s making the promise to you and, for your part, how important the person is to you, if you’re the one making the promise to them.

Like I said this account of Jesus and the miraculous catch of fish with Saint Peter and some of Jesus’ other disciples that we heard today comes after Jesus has been risen from the dead but perhaps you remember that this is similar to how Simon Peter’s life in Christ Jesus started. Saint Luke tells us how “on one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on [Jesus] to hear the word of God, He was standing by the [Sea of Galilee], and [Jesus]  saw two boats by the [sea], but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, [Jesus] asked him to put out a little from the land. And [Jesus] sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at Your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For [Simon Peter] and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.”[1]

In both cases Simon Peter and the others hadn’t caught any fish all night, and in both cases Jesus with His words to them promised that they would catch fish if they trusted His word to them, and that first day on the Sea of Galilee and that day after the resurrection, about three years later, both proved to be days where Jesus was making good on what He promised them. In both cases Peter and James and John the sons of Zebedee left everything and followed Jesus placing their trust in Him and His Word to them, placing their trust in His promises. It’s important to notice that when they did this these men didn’t stop being fishermen, their lives didn’t remain the same, their lives were different but they didn’t lose their personality and all the things that made them who they were. They didn’t fashion for themselves a golden hallow the moment they followed Jesus, they didn’t make one out of their hard work, all that they needed, all that they had was a gift from the LORD; they simply trusted that He was the giver of these good gifts. The miraculous catch of fish in the nets on these two days was the confirmation of Jesus’ word being true and trustworthy. Confirmation that Jesus didn’t think they were unimportant, that in His hands they could do great things to the glory of God and the good of their neighbour, the good of everyone around them.      

Perhaps you’re starting to piece this all together, while Harold was not Saint Peter, our sainted Harold and Peter have some things in common: They both loved to fish, they both loved to be out on the water and they also had the promises of God provided to them in Christ Jesus for the living out of their lives. When you read the Gospels you quickly find out that Saint Peter had his ups and downs along the way, everyone does, Christians do, Harold did, but when you’re a baptised child of God and deep down you know that the LORD is proving for your needs two things happen 1) it makes it easier for a person to be able to enjoy their life in whatever circumstance they find themselves to be (this is a kind of contentment and joy, a zest for life); 2) knowing that the LORD is providing for your needs actually makes a person free to happily go about their work, free to work hard each day even for 50 years if we’re so like, free to play hard like Harold when the opportunity arises. Free to cast the net like Saint Peter without fear, free to cast the fishing line into the water like Harold without worry for tomorrow. Harold was free to embrace the fullness of life because deep down inside he trusted the promises of the LORD to him.

You may have notice in our Gospel Reading for today that even though Peter and James and John and the other disciples had let down their nets following Jesus’ words from the seashore, that the miraculous catch of fish they hauled in was not actually needed for their breakfast that day. Saint John tells us, “When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread.” Those 153 fish from the miraculous catch of fish would ultimately go to the people who needed those fish, but for the disciples Jesus had already provided for their needs before they’d even gotten out of the boat. When they followed Jesus, Jesus cared for their needs, when you reflect on Harold’s life consider the many ways Jesus was fulfilling His promise of care towards Harold, even during the rough and choppy waters of this life. When you think about it Jesus daily had ‘fish and bread laid out on the charcoal fire’ for Harold and Doreen and for their kids Derek and Jacque.           

Now it’s true that you can’t fish, you can’t curl and you can’t play bass guitar when you have Parkinson like Harold had and that would be sad if that was the end of the story for Harold but it isn’t. Dementia brought on by Parkinson isn’t the end of the story for Harold either. Jesus has promised that on the Last Day the former things that have caused us to cry and mourn, the former things that brought pain and death will pass away and on That Day Jesus will “make all things new.”[2] As Christians we trust this promise because Jesus made good on His word when He repeatedly taught “His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”[3] This unfolded just as Jesus promised it would. And like we heard near the beginning of our Service, “if we have been united with [Jesus] in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with [Jesus] in a resurrection like His.”[4] That’s the promise Jesus made at His Good Friday Cross and that’s the promises Jesus made at His Empty Easter Sunday Tomb, that’s the promise He confirms at the sea shore of the Sea of Galilee with the miraculous catch of fish and that’s the promise that Jesus makes to us in our baptism. This is the promise Harold had made to Him and this is a promise for you too. And while it’s true that eventually we all end up in a coffin or an urn, the Christian stands firm on the promise that this will be temporary; and while the World sees these coffins and urns as vessel for the unimportant we know the difference. In the eyes of God Harold’s urn is the important resting place of his physical body as his soul now finds peace in Christ until that Last Day when Harold’s body, soul and mind are reunited and made new in perfection.

Now this where I want your minds to run wild: the promise of a new heaven and a new earth, all made new, and set right, what will that be like? When body mind and spirit is made new and set right then the ravages of age and Parkinson and dementia will have passed away for Harold and things he enjoyed in this life will be also be made new. And because we have all of eternity ahead of us in that place there will likely be a time when Harold will hear Saint Peter say “I am going fishing,” and then Harold will find himself out on the Sea of Galilee with Peter, and Thomas (called the Twin), and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and James and John the sons of Zebedee, and those other two unnamed disciples of Jesus joyfully fishing together with no care in the World. And then if you let your mind really run wild should there be a Highland Curling Club which is made new in the new heaven and a new earth there may likewise come a time when Saint Peter will hear our sainted Harold say “I’m going curling” and Peter, and Thomas (called the Twin), and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and James and John the sons of Zebedee, and those other two unnamed disciples of Jesus will find themselves on the ice joyfully playing a friendly game together, broom and rock in hand, with no care in the World. And why shouldn’t we hope for these things and more when the LORD God in Christ Jesus His Son promises us the finest and best of foods and drink in that place when death is swallowed up and is no more.[5] In that place our sainted Harold may even be able to play lead guitar.

Dear ones Harold has always been important to Jesus, important enough to die for, important enough to forgive, important enough to make promises to and not pinky swear promises but eternal and lasting promises of everlasting life and healing in the face of death and hardships. Whatever the World thinks of us we are called to remember that we likewise are important to Jesus, you are all as important to Him as Harold is. So today we ask, ‘what does it mean to live with the promises of the LORD? What kind of impact does living with these promises have on a person’s life?’ A kind of underlying peace and joy that the World can’t provide apart from God, forgiveness in Jesus where the World is unforgiving, and love where the World lacks love. Pounder these things and hold them close to your heart. On this side of things we live with the promise. Amen.    

Let us pray:

Lord have mercy on us, Christ have mercy on us, Lord have mercy on us, “take our minds and think through them, take our lips and speak through them, take our hearts and set them on fire; for the sake of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Amen.

[1] Luke 5:1-11
[2] Revelation 21:4-5
[3] Matthew 16:21
[4] Romans 6:5
[5] Isaiah 25:6, “On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.”