To read the texts click on the texts: Acts 4:1-12; Jn21:1-14
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.
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