To read the texts click on the texts: Acts4:1-12; Jn 21:1-14
Most scholars today see Jn
21:1-25 as a later addition to the Gospel of John. It is not clear whether this
material was added by the Evangelist or added later by another redactor or
editor. It is true that the language of Chapter 21 differs from the rest of
John’s Gospel but, it is also true that all existing manuscripts of John
contain Chapter 21. The difference in language is explained as being
conditioned by the content and not because someone other than the Evangelist
wrote it. Yet, some are clear that, because of the ecclesial concerns which are
at the forefront in Chapter 21, and which are not the focuses of the Gospel
until Chapter 20, it was added later. Others see the ecclesial concerns as
essential to the ending of the Gospel and so, regard Chapter 21 as an integral
part of the Gospel. Be that as it may, Chapter 21 is now part of the Gospel and
so must be interpreted within the framework of the whole Gospel of John.
There are two parts to this
post resurrection story. The first deals with the miraculous catch of fish and
the second with the recognition of the risen Lord.
The text begins by informing
the reader that Jesus revealed himself to his disciples and then goes on to
narrate how this revelation took place. The story is thus to be interpreted as
an epiphany. Seven disciples are mentioned, of which only three are named. The
beloved disciple, who is mentioned later in the narrative, is one of the seven.
The activity of fishing on the part of the disciples, even after they had
received the commission from the risen Lord in Chapter 20, may be seen as a
sign that they had not obeyed the command.
It might be seen as a sign that they had given up and returned to their
former way of life or even as an indication of their aimlessness. This means
that an appearance of the risen Lord, and even a command from him, is not
enough to cause a transformation in one’s outlook to life. One must be willing
to take risks and believe.
The response of the other
six to Peter’s statement that he is going fishing is to go with him. This
indicates a sense of community and oneness. Though they may not be able to
fully understand the significance of going fishing at this crucial time, they
will collaborate with Peter. They will pull together. However, despite all
their efforts, they are not able to achieve anything. Jesus appears
unobtrusively when it is light, and asks a question about the catch. They
respond that they have caught nothing. They obey Jesus’ command to cast the net
on the right side and are successful. The quantity of fish is so great that
they struggle to haul in the net.
The second part of the story
narrates the recognition of the risen Lord. The miraculous catch seems to be
the reason why the beloved disciple is able to recognize that it is the Lord.
Here, too, like at the empty tomb (20:8), he is able to recognize through his
intuition. Peter responds to this statement with alacrity, though his desire to
be clothed and therefore, respectful, restrains him. The other disciples
respond soberly.
The enormity of the catch is
detailed in the number of fish caught, namely one hundred fifty three. A
variety of interpretations have been offered to explain this number. St. Augustine proposed a mathematical
way of reading this number which is regarded even today as plausible. His
explanation was that the number 153 is obtained when all of the integers from 1
to 17 are added together; this mathematical fact thus suggests the completeness
of the number 153. Others regard the number as clearly indicating that the
narration of this event is an eyewitness account of what actually happened.
This is why the number is not a round number, but 153. Still another
interpretation is that 153 was the number of species of fish known to Greek
zoologists of that time and thus, it signifies that every kind or species of
fish was caught in the net. This symbolizes that no one is excluded. That the
net did not break, despite the fact that there were so many fish, is an
indication of unity even in diversity. That this seems to be the best
explanation is confirmed by the fact that the verb “to haul” used here of
Peter’s hauling the net ashore is the same verb used to describe those who come
to Jesus from God (6:44 ). It is the same verb that is used to describe
the salvific effect of Jesus’ death when he will “draw’ (haul) all people to
himself (12:32 ). Thus, the
disciples continue the mission of Jesus even when they fish, by drawing all to
him.
Since the disciples “know’ it is the Lord they do not ask him his
identity. Jesus plays the host and invites them to dine with him.
At least three significant
points are made by this text. The first is that there is no guarantee that,
just because a person has “seen” and “heard” Jesus, he/she will obey his
commands or continue his mission. It is possible that, even after such an
experience, one will continue in the old ways.
Second, any mission that is
undertaken without the help of the Lord will rarely meet with success as is
evident in the disciples’ failure to catch anything, even after all their
strenuous efforts. Sometimes, it is the words of a stranger that result in the
transformation of a situation. To hear these words, it is important to be as
open and receptive as the disciples were though they did not know who that
stranger was. If the disciples, instead of listening to what the stranger was
saying, had acted arrogantly and with pride, they would never have made the
miraculous catch and may never have encountered Jesus.
Third, exclusivity
has no place in any mission that has its roots in Jesus’ mission. All are
included and all are welcome. Even more, each retains his/her identity and is
still very much a part of the whole. There is no need for uniformity in the
family of Jesus, but unity is very much a core value.
No comments:
Post a Comment
You may use the "Anonymous" option to leave a comment if you do not possess a Google Account. But please leave your name and URL as www.errolsj.com