READINGS

John 21:1-19

HOMILY

Last time we had a diptych with Mary Magdalene and Thomas on either side of the central resurrection appearance of our Lord.

The Lord Ascended. The fullness of new creation being breathed into the disciples as Adam had been created.

Today we have what many think was an additional chapter put on later to John's gospel (which may well be the case, since there is no ancient text of John's gospel that doesn't have a chapter 21).

What this chapter shares with its predecessor is that, here too, there is a central appearance of Jesus in the midst of the disciples and he is dealing with a particular one of them.

That is, something that is central for all, but also a building up, a taking beyond themselves of an individual we've seen.

That's what happened with Mary Magdalene and Thomas, and now we're going to see what happens with Peter.

After these things, after last sunday's gospel and all the signs that the evangelists mentioned, Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the sea of Tiberias (the pagan name for the sea of Galilee).

Gathered there together were a total of seven disciples:

Simon Peter;
Thomas (called the twin - remember these had been at the last meeting);
Nathaniel of Cana in Galilee (so there's a reference back there - just remembering us of the signs);
James and John;
Two others of his disciples not mentioned.

Note that nothing here is accidental.

Jesus is showing himself (the first showing himself of all had been at Cana in Galilee, so now we have Nathaniel reminding us of that).

When they were in Jerusalem in the room locked for fear of the Jews, it had been the twelve (and there specifically Thomas was referred to as one of the twelve).

However, here it's the seven and, of course, numbers for John matter.

Here we're talking about the number of fulfillment heading abroad going amongst the pagans.

The twelve referred to the restoration and the continuation of the true Israel.

Here we have the seven on the border country with a pagan place.

And Simon Peter says to them: I'm going fishing. And the other said they would go it him.

So often Simon Peter is an impetuous fellow, but also a starter impulsive someone who just gets things going.

Cast your mind back to the very beginning of the gospel: people following on Jesus, agreeing just to follow on with him and see where He went.

So here we have a different sort of following on, but with Peter there's nothing else particular to do - they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Just after daybreak (when the time for good fishing had just passed), Jesus stood on the beach, but the disciples did not know that it was Him.

So yet again these appearances of Jesus being caused to appear after his resurrection took very varied forms.

Jesus said to them: children (or probably lads) you have no fish, have you?.

I think it's a more demotic term than children, because he's not actually saying my little children it's more like lads, you have no fish, have you?.

And they answered him no and the no apparently is a very absolute, the particular form of no here is a very absolute no, absolutely not.

He said to them cast the net to the right side of the boat and you will find some.

He's pushing them beyond what they might have achieved for themselves pushing them beyond.

This is the indication of moving on to the gentiles.

So they cast it and now they were not able to haul it in, because there were so many fish.

Once they've pushed into the new place, all the fish come in.

So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter: it is the Lord.

So there's an act of recognition here. It's interesting that the actual recognition comes when the fruit is seen.

It's not that he heard the voice that said it was the Lord; is that he heard the voice and saw the fish and realized that the one who had been pushing them into this abundance was the same one who had stood in their midst and breathed the spirit amongst them.

And that there was clearly some sort of empathy between the voice of love and the sending and the fruit.

So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he didn't recognize himself: he put on some clothes for he was naked and jumped into the sea.

So this is going to be one of the first examples of what we had in last sunday's gospel: blessed is he who believes without seeing because he doesn't know who this is he hears.

Peter puts on some clothes for he's naked.

He puts on his clothes refers exactly to what Jesus did at the last supper.

Remember that He stripped off his clothes to show He was serving, then He put on his clothes at the end and told them to do likewise.

Peter is taken into the process of becoming a server.

Peter impetuously again, off his own bat, jumps into the sea, but the other disciples came in the boat dragging the net full of fish for they were not far from the land (only about 100 yards off).

Peter's being pretty useless, because there's an awful lot of fish to haul and Peter jumped out to show his affection for someone he doesn't know, but hears is the right person. Typical Peter.

When they'd gone ashore they saw a charcoal fire. Remeber that the last time we heard of a charcoal fire, it was where Peter was warming his hands with the others and where he betrayed Jesus.

So this is going to be set up to be the place where Jesus is able to achieve Peter's penitence.

In John's gospel, Peter doesn't break down in tears when he hears the right; it's only here that he's able to get what he'd got wrong.

So they saw the charcoal fire with some fish on it and some bread .

In other words, Jesus already has some, but then He says bring some of the fish that you have just caught, the disciples are going to be involved in bringing this to being. They are going to be asked to share in this self-giving feast.

Jesus spoke to them, but once again it's Simon Peter thinking it's all up to him who went aboard and hold the net ashore full of large fish: 153 of them.

Why 153? One of the theories is that it's three groups of 50 plus the multiple 3: 50 being the gathered community.

So there is the sense of spreading gathering communities and, though these were many, the net was not torn.

In other words, there's beginning to be a church and it's not here to split.

So Jesus said to them come and have breakfast now; none of the disciples dared to ask him who are you because they knew it was the Lord.

Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them and did the same with the fish.

So this is the feeding miracle that the other gospels refer to in a slightly different way when it's perfectly clear that both jesus is giving them something that is from him and they are participating; there's something brought from them.

This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

There are one or two other moments when Jesus appears, but it's the third time He's appeared to the three to the full groups.

He appeared on the first the evening of the first day of resurrection then a week later full group and now a third time.

On each occasion there's been someone else being built up towards that: Mary Magdalene on the first; Thomas the second; Jesus and Peter the third.

So here we have the presence of the Lord pushing people out into this new ministry amongst the gentiles.

When they'd finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter before he's spoken only to them in plural, but now he speaks to Simon Peter individually.

Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?.

Again, this could be do you love me more than these people do or do you love me more than you love these people (the brethen).

It might be an interesting fact to pursue that it could be both of those.

So Peter says to him: yes Lord, you know that I love you.

Famously, Jesus uses the word agapao - you love me that way - and peter says - you know, yes I do love you - in the word which means friendship.

Then Jesus says to him feed my lambs; it's the little lambs - feed my little ones.

Being talking about fishing, he now transfers that to sheep.

Feed my little ones; and it's actually the term "give to feed", "give them good food".

So the second time he says to him Simon, son of John, do you love me? and again He uses the word agapao meaning the suggestion of something comes with special love.

Peter says to him: yes Lord, you know that I love you; and again yes Lord, you know that I love you, with this friendship love.

And then, Jesus says to him: pastor my sheep and this gives us some sort of sense of organizing and ruling.

This is not just "the feeding bit", this is making sure they get to the right place taking them hither and this and it refers to the adults.

First of all, He's talking to the smaller, small, unimportant ones, though Peter's always leaving them behind and rushing out in his ambitiousness.

Now He's talking about getting behind and looking after the sheep, because a shepherd goes along behind rather than rushing out ahead.

Jesus says to him the third time: Simon, son of John, do you love me? and here he uses the friendship word filioque, and Peter has now felt hurt, because he said this the third time.

In other words, Peter has picked up that his denial of Christ is being lived out again.

But now his denial is being undone; he's being taken to the place where he can find himself penitent in the face of the risen Lord.

Note what Jesus has been doing: what the risen lord is doing to Peter, to build him up: He's trying to get him back into the flock as it were.

He's getting him back so that he doesn't love in some exaggerated way, but that he actually works out what being a friendship really means.

Being alongside it means being part of it; means care for the very little ones; means going along behind the big ones rather than rushing out in front.

Peter realizes that his impetuousness has in fact made him outside the group in another way.

He actually formally betrayed rather than simply ran away.

Peter's impetuousness was not his friend, so he's now realizing that he's being asked to take his place penitently within the group.

*Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you.

He knows that he's been called being called on his betrayal.

The Lord loves him on the betrayal; He still loves him; He loves him as a traitor.

And then Jesus says to him: feed my sheep.

And this is the feeding term, the actual giving of food, the one which he'd used before of the little ones, but now he's using it of the adults.

There's only one way to feed the sheep and that's by giving yourself in the same way that Jesus had given them, which was now being celebrated in this Eucharistic meal with the bread and the fish.

Peter has been taken back through the whole of his living with Jesus and being brought to the place where he's now going to be able to become a follower of Jesus rather than an impetuous would-be leader of others who follow Jesus.

Then Jesus prophesies the manner of Peter's crucifixion: when you grow old, you'll stretch out your hands.

Apparently that was a standard way of referring to crucifixion and someone else will fasten adults around you and take you away where you should not wish to go.

In other words: before you did what you want now you're going to be dragged.

After this, Jesus said to him: follow me. It's only as insider that you are going to be able to be a follower. And that is how you're going to be feeding your sheep

So this is a very delicate psychological account of Peter being taken through the various times that he'd been impetuous, spoken up too soon, that he'd wanted to be a leader, that he thought he was loving when he wasn't, that he got himself into trouble.

And what does the risen Lord do in addition to pushing us out into taking the new creation further?

It also heals us, brings us to penitence and heals us of the ways in which we think of ourselves as exceptional needing to be outside, needing to be one up on others.

It's feeding the little ones, getting behind the big ones, being within and feeding them.

It is following the shepherd who gave himself as a sheep that they can be fed.

So that's how Jesus brings Peter to life in the church and how we Catholics hope and long that his successor lives among us.