Circles of Redemption

I cannot get John 21 out of my head after reading it last week.  Specifically, Jesus is standing on the shore of the Sea of Galilee after His Resurrection.  He has made a fire with fish on it and bread.  He invites his disciples "Come, have breakfast."  He seeks them, He goes to where they are, He waits for them, and offers to feed them, again.   All of this, after all but one denied and abandoned Him during His Passion and Death on the Cross.

Wow.  For me, this sums up who Jesus is and how He deals with us.  He seeks us.  He meets us.  He waits for us.  He feeds us.  All we have to do is show up and receive what He offers.

Furthermore, He redeems Peter's three denials during His Passion.  He asks Him three times if he loves Him, to which Peter replies "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."  All is well. 

Jesus, in His very person, makes things right again.  We see God doing this throughout salvation history.  He brings things full circle.  He redeems our wrongs.  Here are just a few examples:

*  To gain Heaven, we must abandon our own logic and pride, the very thing which satan used to cause Eve to sin.  Full circle.

*  Mary's obedience to God redeemed Eve's disobedience.  Full circle.

*  God used Mary to bring Jesus to us.  He uses her to bring us back to Jesus.  Full     circle.

*  The dead wood of the Cross is transformed into a tree of life.  Full circle.

*  Creation began in a garden.  Christ's agony took place in a garden.  Jesus is buried in a garden.  (Remember Mary Magdalene thought He was the gardener when He appeared after His resurrection?)  Salvation history ends in a garden (Rev. 2:7) "Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  To the victor I will give the right to eat from the tree of life that is in the garden of God."  Full circle.

*  We are strongest in our weakness, because His strength is ours.  Full circle.

*  We must be last to be first.  Full circle.

*  We must be servant to be king.  Full circle.

*  We must surrender to be free.  Full circle.

People who have more time and know more than I do could probably fill volumes with the many, many, many ways God has redeemed our failures and made them right again. 

Dear God, thank you for sending Jesus.  Thank you for Mary's obedience in bringing Him to us.  Thank you for our salvation history.  Thank you for including us in it.  Thank you for circles of redemption. 

Dear Jesus, Thank you for waiting on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.  Thank you for the fire you created.  Thank you for making your disciples breakfast.  Thank you for seeking us.  Thank you for waiting for us.  Thank you for feeding us.  I love you and want to live my life as a continuous offering of gratitude and love.  Please help me to do that.  Amen.