On the third Sunday of Easter in the C Cycle of the Lectionary for Mass, we hear yet another appearance story from the twenty-first chapter of St. John’s Gospel. Jesus appears to the apostles who are out on the Sea of Tiberias fishing. Think about that for a moment. The apostles are fishing. Is that something that they should be doing? Wasn’t fishing their former way of life? Why have they returned to this occupation after they had witnessed the passion, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus?
Another interesting detail tells us that Jesus appears to seven of the apostles, not all twelve. Where are the other five?
As has been the case in other appearance stories, the apostles do not immediately recognize Jesus. As a matter of fact, it is only after they follow the suggestion of the stranger and cast their nets over the other side of the boat, catching 153 large fish. There is a similar story in the Gospel of St. Luke. After that story, Peter, John, and James all leave their fishing nets and follow Jesus. However, in the Gospel of St. John, the story is a post-resurrection story.
All of these details raise questions in our minds about the story. In addition, you might remember from last Sunday we heard what sounded very much like a conclusion to the Gospel when we read from chapter twenty: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of [his] disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may [come to] believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.” In studying the vocabulary and structure of this story as well as it’s placement after what seems to be a conclusion, scholars are offering the opinion that perhaps this story was added on to the Gospel. However, it should be pointed out that every manuscript of this Gospel includes chapter twenty-one. So if it was added, perhaps there was a purpose to the story that is not immediately evident.
First of all, why are the apostles fishing? Is this an indication that they have returned to their former way of life? Is this, perhaps, an attempt on the part of the evangelist to comment on whether the apostles were working at the commission they were given to go forth and baptize all nations?
In the course of the conversation between Jesus and the apostles, it becomes obvious that Peter is being put on the spot for the denials he uttered while Jesus was in the custody of the chief priests and the Sanhedrin. Jesus asks him three times to declare his love for him. In addition, there is a note of competition between Peter and the “disciple whom Jesus loved.” Some scholars believe that this Gospel was written by that same disciple. While Peter will die a martyr’s death, the fate of the disciple whom Jesus loved is uncertain.
All of these questions are interesting, to say the least. However, the point of this chapter of the Gospel is the same as all of the other chapters. They are written to bring us to faith. They are written to those who were not eyewitnesses. If, indeed, the apostles have returned to their former way of life, perhaps the evangelist is simply trying to help us see that when we fall, we must get up again. None of us is perfect. None of the apostles was perfect. We are all sinners. The only one who is without sin is the man who invites us to the shore to sit with him awhile with a little breakfast. Rather than give up when we fail, this story simply teaches us to try again. Peter failed when he denied that he knew Jesus. By our conduct we are probably guilty of the same thing. All Jesus asks us is “Do you love me?”
Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator