I love this Sunday's fish story. And stories are part of what comes up for this passage. And, sigh, Melanchthon pens Luther’s consistent argument about the Pope not being better than other bishops.

John 21:1-19

Chapter 21 is cited through an editorial insert, although the story is told, in Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article 21: The Invocation of the Saints (AP 21.36) to give an example of a story intended to form us in faith rather than a story told to continue and encourage superstitious practices.

Verses 15 and 17 are both quoted in Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope (Tr 30) to show that in this scene, Peter is not set above the other disciples, but challenged and commanded like the rest of the apostles "to preach the word" (Tr 30).

Verse 17 comes up earlier (Tr 22) to note that this verse is used in the Roman theology Melanchthon was critiquing to raise up Peter as more important than the other apostles, which Luther sees as a misreading of the verse.

TheoThru

Stories and authority. The story that Christians tell shape others for good or for ill. There is a call here to pay attention to the authority that we are given so that we tell the gospel story Ina way that helps color this otherwise fishy situation.

What stories do we tell that perpetuate superstitions?
How do we try to bolster our opinion of our selves through the stories we tell?
How can we tell stories that point to the gospel and our equality in Jesus?