By Fr. B. Joseph Francis –
We we take up a short reflection on this chapter and observe the love and compassion of the Risen Lord! The scene starts with the Apostles being fidgety. Jesus has been going in and out among them; appearing and disappearing; the waiting from one appearance to the next was getting on their nerves and Peter, to get out of it says he is going out to fish and that would distract his troubled and anxious mind. The others follow the initiative of Peter and accompany him; it shows the position of Peter among the Apostles!
As it had happened on the occasion of the great catch of fish before their permanent calling, they had caught nothing in spite of spending the whole night in their futile labour. Early in the morning they see a solitary figure, perhaps like an old fisherman. He calls out to them ‘children have you caught any fish’ and getting their distraught reply, he asks them to cast the net on the right side and they catch plenty of fish. It does not take long for the beloved disciple to connect one thing with another.
It had happened similarly when Jesus had called them to follow him. He was doubtless. This person in the garb of the old fisherman is none other than Jesus. He says so loudly and Peter just grabs his clothing swings it round himself and jumps into the water though they were not far from shore; he wants to reach fast the shore to manifest his love and eagerness for the Lord. Jesus, standing on the shore, is John’s way of speaking in symbols.
Jesus has crossed the great shore of earthly life; now he is on the other side of the shore while the disciples are still in this world struggling hard with many a problem. Jesus on the shore is assuring them that he is waiting for them on the shore and encouraging them in their task; mysteriously he is also with them though they may not feel it.
He is caring for them: even before they could come he has got food ready for them; he has baked hot and fresh bread for them and there is already fish cooking on the fire and he asks them to bring in some of their haul and John tells that Peter as their leader (again symbolically, it is Peter their leader after Jesus) hauled in a large catch of fish 153 in number. This number is the then known number of fish in the Sea of Galilee. So the meaning is “all”. It is all who have been gathered by their apostolic ministry i.e., the whole world, all the peoples of the world.
Observe at the same time the extreme kindness and understanding of Jesus. As they land on the shore he invites them to come and have breakfast. They had laboured long through the night. He invites them; “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11.28) he had said and here is he fulfilling his promise that when he finds his servant at his task when he comes unannounced, he would himself make him and all of them sit at table and serve them (Lk 12. 35-37)!
A beautiful image indeed: Jesus is waiting for all of us his disciples, his followers; when we cross over the shores to eternity he the kind and merciful Lord is there awaiting us to give eternal rest and fill us with joy and entertain us himself standing at our table to serve us!
After the meal, takes place the famous triple declaration of Peter that he loves Jesus perhaps to make up for his earlier triple denial. He had during the last supper compared himself with the other disciples and had said that even if all other disciples abandon him, he would not do so meanly; implying by this that he loved Jesus more than all others. And so in this meeting with Peter after breakfast Jesus asks: “Do you love me more than these?”
His answer is not the bravado of earlier day but a humble surrender “You know that I love you”; there is no mention of more than others. He is given the command over the sheep… But the third time Peter is very much upset he tells Jesus plainly, putting the whole burden on him: “you know everything and you know that I love you” (perhaps I would have added: Lord you know I am trying to love you). Jesus would just confirm him in his office. He is satisfied he has a humble man to follow him as the visible head of the Church, to strengthen the Brethren who fall because he himself is a disciple who fell and rose again. He would be kind to them all.
The whole passage is endowed with such a simplicity and grandeur that we are at a loss for words. Above all what comes out strongly is: the great love, compassion of the Lord who accompanies his disciples in their struggles and is encouraging and assuring them of his love even when they fall. He is there to lift them up. Peter is told what kind of death he would undergo but he wants to know what about the other disciple? Jesus’ reply is simple:
Do not compare yourself with others. You follow me. Let us give up the habit of petty jealousies and comparisons. Let us not do what the heretical Jansenists (followers of Jansen) did: engaging oneself in heavy and burdensome penances to prove to oneself and others that I am holy and not like other men and women. On the contrary, let us go on quietly loving and serving the Lord and one another and the whole of creation which is groaning and waiting for the liberation of the sons of God (Cf. Rm8). The compassionate Lord would certainly reward us graciously.