John 21:1-19
The Gospel passage you just heard is
sometimes referred to as the “second ending” of the gospel of
John. If you remember last Sunday's gospel about Saint Thomas, that
passage ended with the satement: “Jesus performed many other signs
in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this
book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the
Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in
his name.” That certainly sounds like an ending. But then John
starts up again with this story of Jesus' appearance on the shore of
the lake. The story is peculiar, because it seems as though the
disciples don't really know what to do – even though they have been
sent forth and given the power to forgive sins. Yet Peter seems to
be at loss, and decides to go fishing. So do the others. And when
Jesus appears on the shore and is recognized, they all act like it's
the first time they've seen him. Another interesting thing – Peter
puts on his clothes before jumping into the water. Some writers see
that as a symbol of death and re-birth, or of baptism. Others say
that Peter did it out of modesty since he was working naked. But I
like the idea that Peter thought he would try walking on water again,
but this time it still didn't work.
But the section of this gospel that I
think has a lot to do with us is the last part, the peculiar exchange
between Peter and Jesus. What is really going on here? There have
been scores of commentaries, all coming to different conclusions.
Our Church, of course, sees this passage as one of the places where
Peter is commissioned to lead the Church. Another, of course is when
we hear Jesus say, “You are Peter and upon this rock I will build
my church.”
And other people have said that this
passage with its three questions about love is the point at which
Peter is forgiven for his three times denial of Jesus.
But John just finished telling us that
he is writing so that you may believe. Gospel passages often mean
several things at once, and I think this passage could be addressed
to every Christian. First, notice that Jesus addresses Peter not by
the nickname he gave him, but by his real name. And anyone who has
been a kid knows that when a parent calls you by your given name, you
better listen up. Jesus is being serious – this isn't just a
casual breakfast on the beach.
The second thing to notice, but you
and I can't because we don't do Greek, is that Jesus and Peter use
different words for love. Jesus uses the word agape –
self-sacrificing love – in the first two questions. In the third,
he uses the word that means “brotherly love”. Peter always
replies with the word meaning brotherly love. So if we tried to
translate this into English, it might sound something like this: Do
you love me enough to die for me? And Peter replies, “I love you
like a brother!” Jesus tries again, and Peter can't use that word.
And finally Jesus says, “Well, do you love me like a brother? And
Peter in relief says, “You know everything, and I do love you like
a brother.”
Isn't Peter speaking for most of us?
I haven't been asked to die for Jesus, but I've failed in lesser ways
to love Him. I can't get through a day without knowing I could have
done better, I could have been a better disciple. Could I honestly
answer, “Yes Lord, I love you enough to die for you?”
And I think Jesus' first two questions
challenge us, but his third recognizes where we are, and we can react
with relief as Peter did, knowing that Jesus sees that we love him
imperfectly, but still accepts that love.
The third thing to notice is that
after each question, Jesus gives Peter a task. Feeding lambs – a
lamb doesn't wander off, it stays close to it's mother; but it needs
to be fed. All of us are called to feed each other. No Christian
should be comfortable knowing that there are people who are hungry or
homeless, especially when they are right next door. Sheep on the
other hand, wander off and that's why you need a shepherd, to round
them up and bring them into the pasture. We can see if we look
around that some Christians are called to be evangelists, proclaiming
the gospel to others. That isn't just a call for the pope or the
bishop; it's a call for every disciple, to call others into the fold.
And finally, an even higher calling is to feed those sheep. This is
an area where our church could use a little work. When people have
experienced conversion, and often that happens to people who have
been baptized and confirmed and have been going to mass every Sunday
and say their prayers – yes, even they can be comverted – how do
we nurture those people, what do we do to keep those fires burning?
I think about the people I've helped through RCIA over the past many
years, people who are now full grown members of the Church. How do
we keep that going? How do we feed these sheep, so that the Church
can thrive and grow and fulfill it's mission? Jesus died for us, and
yet he trusts us to bring the fruits of his passion to other people.
The last thing to notice, I guess, is
that Jesus promises something to Peter. He promises him that a time
will come when he will go where he does not want to go . We've j
ust seen where Peter does not want to go. Is Jesus saying, “Peter,
you may not love me enough to die for me now, but someday you will”.
Surely that would be a message I would accept with joy – that my
love for Jesus will someday reach that point. And Jesus simply says,
“Follow me”. As long as you keep your eyes focused on me, as
long as you hear my words and try to obey, you'll be all right; you
will come to love me as much as I love you.
