Please read John 21:1-17

This passage is the narrative of the appearance of Jesus amongst His disciples, a third time, after His Resurrection. Let us, for a moment, fast forward to the last verse of this last chapter, “But there are also many other things which Jesus did, which, if they were written in detail, I expect that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.” (NASB) This gives us a clear indication that there’s much more to be known about our Lord. The New Testament writers, therefore, might have used precis format to tell us as much they could in as short a form as possible. So, as we keep repeatedly reading the Scriptures, we tend to interpret the inner meaning in different ways. Let’s relook at this passage.

I grew up in a small coastal town, alongside the Arabian Sea which used to be known as Tellicherry in Kerala. My house was just about 2 KM from the beautiful stretch of beaches.  The school I went to, St. Joseph’s stood on a kind of cliff overlooking the sea. Throughout the beach, there used to be fishing villages and I had a good overview of the life and traditions of fishermen. Fishers are some of the hardest-working people you will ever come across. They risk their lives each time they go out into the sea.   But if you ask them if they would rather do something different for a living, they’ll give you a stern look and say, “Never in a million years.” Fishermen love to fish. Peter loved to fish.  In my youth, I have done some fishing. Most of us, however, would love charcoal-grilled fish. But Jesus wants us to go on a different fishing expedition, reaching out to the unreached. We cannot do that from the confines of the local church or our homes.

To fish, we must get our lines wet and we need to go where fish can be found.

That’s Lesson 1 for us.

I presume Peter the fisherman was no different.  Though he was very close to Jesus for three years and had encountered Jesus already twice after the resurrection, he went back to fishing and took many others with him.  I would say that though he was earnest in believing that Jesus is the Saviour, he was wanting in faith, and he could not for the life of him understand what Jesus expected of him in His ministry.

Most of us are like Peter. We always have a plan B and at the drop of a hat, we jump the ship, most of times we are in haste and fail.  That’s what happened to Peter and the party; they failed in their plan B. A few days later, post-Pentecost, we see a different Peter.

Have faith in Jesus even if circumstances seem irretrievably adverse. He has plans for you and me.

That’s Lesson 2 for us.

We find that though they saw Jesus standing on the shore, they did not recognise His resurrected form till He willed that they should know Him. If you recall, it happened to Mary Magdalene in the garden and the two disciples on the road. I read these occurrences as a glimpse of what it would be when we too resurrect when the time comes. While we will reserve a discussion on that for another day, I am sure none of us wants our present bodies when we resurrect.  

Then, we read in verse 7, “… So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea.”  I don’t believe Peter did that to cover his physical nakedness. The guilt of his denial of Jesus must have been torturing this simple soul and he must have felt naked spiritually. I would say Peter was trying to hide from Jesus. In Geneses we read that Adam and Eve also tried to hide from God, not because of their nakedness, but because of their guilt. That’s the Bible’s first mask. They thought it was a great idea, and so did Peter—hiding from the omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient creator and sustainer of all things! Jesus the God sees right through our masks anyway! And when we continue to wear the mask, we forfeit His grace and mercy. Jesus did not mince words to express His disapproval of the hypocrites but was generous with mercy and grace to those who were humble and honest. 

No matter how guilty we are, we should take it to the Lord, who alone can mend us. He is the potter and we the clay in His hands and He will mold us removing the sin in us and making us anew.
We cannot hide from Jesus.

That’s Lesson 3 from this passage.

Some scholars believe that after Peter’s three denials of Christ (Mark 14:66–72), he felt he had placed himself out of Jesus’ inner circle and therefore, retreated to his former occupation. My, non-scholarly, take on the matter is that, like all others, Peter did not understand Jesus yet.  It’s like us reading the Gospel accounts numerous times. We may pretend we know Jesus well enough, but how much do we know Him? Peter certainly did not expect that Jesus would pursue him to talk about those courtyard denials, in His usual symbolic manner. Peter was getting grilled in a subtle manner. Notice, Jesus did not carry on a conversation with any of the other disciples present.

Also know that Jesus never gives up on anyone that includes you and me. He wants to share our grief, guilt, and circumstances.

That’s Lesson 4 for us.

Peter knew that it was Jesus who was standing on the beach and directing their operations. You will find Jesus at unexpected turns in your life.  And when you do, remember, He is not there just to give you an epiphany.

He is there on purpose for you. Therefore, we must expect Jesus at every turn of our lives.

That’s Lesson 5 from the passage.

What caught my attention in the passage is the charcoal fire burning where Jesus was standing. I see that as a reminder to Peter of his rejection of Christ. The only other time where the word meaning charcoal fire is used was at the scene of Peter’s denials, “Now the slaves and the officers were standing there, having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself.” John 18:18. Coming back to the beach, after their meal, Jesus turned to Peter. He asked Peter thrice how much he truly loved Him. Peter’s declaration of loving the Lord three times did not erase his three denials of Jesus just days before. However, it did create a conduit for a deeper relationship with Jesus. With each question, Jesus was giving Peter another chance to be a true disciple. Many fish were caught by the disciples. When we are hungry, the Lord feeds us. When we are thirsty, the Lord lets us drink. To be a disciple of the Lord and to know that the Risen Lord is with us can be very challenging and fulfilling. He is empowering us to witness the Good News. Therefore, he tells Peter, “Feed my sheep “three times.  After the encounter, Peter would never turn back again.

The love of Jesus is everlasting and enough for each of us so we are called to help people in need. It is not because we must, not because we need to but because we want to.

Lesson 6 for us.

 

No matter how many times you turned away from the Lord, He is always standing on the shore of your life calling you back to Himself.

That’s the final Lesson 7 from the charcoal fire!

Anand Peter