This Sunday, as we continue to celebrate Eastertide, we read the greater portion of the last chapter of Saint John’s Gospel, thought to have been written either by the author himself (John), or more likely by one of his disciples. Whatever the case may be, the authenticity/canonicity of this finale to the Fourth Gospel has never been challenged, moreover, the story of Jesus’ appearance on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias has considerable significance.
The narrative mentions seven disciples: Simon Peter, who is the foremost in place and action; Thomas; Nathanael of Cana in Galilee; the sons of Zebedee, i.e. James and John; and two others whose names are not given. Simon Peter decides to go fishing. The others accompany him in the boat. They fish all night but catch nothing. One can sense, in somewhat commonplace nature of these details, a possible meaning to which the author wants to awaken his reader by suggesting certain questions. Would the disciples around Simon Peter really be simply returning to their former way of life, as if, after Easter, they had lost all hope in the future, as if they thought that the story had come to an end? We can be sure that the author did not write this appendix to the fourth Gospel without reading what had happened before: Jesus’ appearance to the disciples, ‘on the first day of the week,’ when he gave the Spirit to the apostles and established their mission; the appearance ‘a week later,’ with the beautiful profession by Thomas one of the seven mentioned here. Therefore, it falls to us to understand the import intended by the author.
Clearly, it is not a matter of recognizing the resurrected one again. John— the disciple Jesus loved — does not hesitate when he hears the voice tell them to throw their net off the starboard side: ‘It is the Lord!’ Peter doesn’t doubt his companion’s exclamation for a second: he immediately jumps into the water and swims back to shore, leaving the others to bring back the boat and the heavy-weighted net. Besides, the reader is told from the very start: ‘When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize it was Jesus.’ In the dim light of early morning and a hundred yards from land, there is nothing surprising about this. But when they came near to him, ‘none of the disciples dared to ask him, ‘who are you?’ Because they realized it was the Lord.’ Perhaps they recognized him by his voice as did the Magdalene on that fist Easter morning in the garden, when she mistook him for the gardener. It matters not, the whole focus of the story is first the catch, then what happened on the shore: the meal prepared by Jesus for his disciples, and the dialogue with Peter.
The Fourth Gospel typically situates its actions at Jerusalem. However, some of the ‘signs’ do occur in Galilee: the calling of Philip, originally from Bethsaida in Galilee like Andrew and Peter, and of Nathanael, also a Galilean. Jesus’ first ‘sign’ at Cana in Galilee; the healing of an official’s son, again at Cana; the ‘sign’ of the multiplication of loaves on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias, the walking on the water and the great discourse on the bread of life in the synagogue of Capernaum in Galilee. The fact that the story of the miraculous catch belongs to this line of Galilean memories recorded by John ought to strike us. Most of these episodes deal with the disciples’ faith; they are ‘signs,’ i.e. acts which point to something beyond themselves. The miraculous catch is one of these. The author emphasizes the contrast between the work to which the disciples betook themselves all night and the enormous, sudden catch when they threw the net ‘over the right side,’ as Jesus had told them to do. The Gospel tells us, there were only large fish, and yet the net was not broken; the fish numbered one hundred and fifty-three! This last detail is certainly not given by chance, for its own sake. What the number symbolizes, we are not sure, Saint Jerome suggests the it might be the number of known species of fish at that time. At the very least, it suggests an abundance: one could not want, or even imagine, a greater catch. Again, to see this catch as a ‘sign’ of the Church hauling a multitude of believers to the shore is certainly not arbitrary, especially considering what follows. Saint Luke will tell us of a miraculous catch on the Sea of Tiberias and Jesus’ words ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’ (Luke 5:1-11)
‘When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread. ‘Bring some of the fish you caught’ Jesus told them:’ When Peter hauled the net to dry ground, Jesus said to them ‘Come have breakfast.’ Then, ‘he took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish.’ The scene is simple and natural, full of humanity and delicacy. If one studies it for very long, however, one gets the feeling that it signifies a greater reality, a ‘mystery.’ The story cannot be seen simply as a manifestation of Jesus’ kind ministrations, preparing some refreshment for his disciples, who were weary after a hard night. Let’s not forget, Jesus had also fed the crowds on the edge of the Sea of Tiberias, there, he had also given them bread and fish, and after all had eaten their fill, there was an abundance left over from the meagre offering of the five loaves and two fish: twelve baskets full. This ‘sign’ was an announcement of the Eucharist. The Gospel certainly means to call this to mind. In any case in hindsight, the Christians of today who are familiar with the Gospels cannot help but make these connections while reflecting on such a suggestive passage, especially when it is read during a Eucharistic celebration. We know that it is the Lord who has set the table and invites us: ‘Happy are those who are called to his supper.’ He himself gives the invitation and he himself is to be the food of those he gathers.
Throughout the story of this marvellous catch, Peter is discreetly placed in the forefront. He is the first named of the seven, as he is in the lists of the apostles. His desire to go fishing draws the others along. When John sees that it is the Lord who speaks to them from the shore, it is to Peter that he speaks. Peter throws himself into the water and reaches the Lord before the others. When Jesus asks that the newly caught fish be brought to him, Peter hurries to drag the net to the ground by himself, though seven of them on the water could barely manage it. He even manages to do this without breaking the net. After the meal on the shore, Peter appears alone with Jesus, for a solemn dialogue recounted in detail: ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’; ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’; ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’This three-fold interrogation with its growing insistence provokes Peter’s firm response: ‘Yes, Lord you know that I love you.’ Yet Peter is hurt by this insistence, which must strongly recall his triple denial in the high priest’s house. Lord, you know everything; you know that I love. You.’ Jesus had not forgotten Peter’s tears at the hour of cockcrow; one look was enough to make the disciple realize, sorrowfully, what he had done. By insisting in this manner, Jesus certainly does not intend to open a wound that must still be tender, even after the healing of repentance and forgiveness. To the three-fold profession of love that he has called for, Jesus responds with a thrice repeated solemn investiture ‘ Feed my lambs’; ‘Tend my sheep’; ‘Feed my sheep.’ To the apostle whose love he knows, the resurrected one, the Good Shepherd who has given his life for his sheep, confides the care of his flock. As the faithful steward of the owner to whom he is bound by the bond of love, Peter will have to defend the sheep from wolves and thieves, make the flock enter and leave by the gate, seek the lost so that there may be only one flock and one shepherd. Peter’s ministry in the Church occurs under the ‘sign’ of love, for the unity of all in charity.
Peter, on the eve of the passion, with a generous heart but not without some temerity, declared to Jesus: ‘I will lay down my life for you!’ Jesus responded that Peter would ‘follow later.’ The Lord had to go first so that the other disciples with Peter at their head, could follow the same paschal road. ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.’ He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, Follow me.’
On our entrance into the Church in baptism, we are marked with the sign of the cross; the sign of God’s utter love for us, Peter’s ministry and the remainder of his days will be under this sign of the love that God has manifested to us through his Son. May he make us able to say in our turn, even after denying him:
‘Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you.’
