John 21

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John 21 by verse:

John 21:1-14

John Dominic Crossan, “Fishing for Humans,” The Historical Jesus, p. 407-410
Andrew Greeley, “Searching for Security,” When Life Hurts, p. 113-116
John Shea, “The Resurrection prayers of Magdalene Peter and Two Youths,” The Hour of the Unexpected, p. 38-39
Imaging the Word, Vol. 1, p. 192-195

1-14     Luke 5:1-11

4-12     Dom Helder Camara, Through the Gospel, p. 148
9-13     John Dominic Crossan, “Bread and Fish,” The Historical Jesus, p. 398-404
11          Cornelius Berry, quoting Jerome in a sermon on 4/10/2005

Jerome

Jerome wrote that 153 fish represent all the kinds of fish in the sea. [a message of inclusion and universality]

11         Wendell Berry, “1996 – I,” A Timbered Choir, p. 197

“1996 – I”

Now you have slipped away
Under the trackless snow,
To you the time of day
Always is long ago.

You’re safe among the dead,
Alive, your death undone.
“Come and dine,” Christ said.
Consenting, you have gone.

1 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he revealed himself in this way.  2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathan’a-el of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together.  3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat; but that night they caught nothing.

4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.  5 Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any fish?” They answered him, “No.”  6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, for the quantity of fish.  7 That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his clothes, for he was stripped for work, and sprang into the sea.  8 But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.

9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread.  10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.”  11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.  12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.  13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish.  14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

21:1 μετα ταυτα εφανερωσεν εαυτον παλιν ο ιησους τοις μαθηταις [αυτου] επι της θαλασσης της τιβεριαδος εφανερωσεν δε ουτως 21:2 ησαν ομου σιμων πετρος και θωμας ο λεγομενος διδυμος και ναθαναηλ ο απο κανα της γαλιλαιας και οι του ζεβεδαιου και αλλοι εκ των μαθητων αυτου δυο 21:3 λεγει αυτοις σιμων πετρος υπαγω αλιευειν λεγουσιν αυτω ερχομεθα και ημεις συν σοι εξηλθον και ενεβησαν εις το πλοιον ευθυς και εν εκεινη τη νυκτι επιασαν ουδεν

21:4 πρωιας δε ηδη γενομενης εστη ο ιησους εις τον αιγιαλον ου μεντοι ηδεισαν οι μαθηται οτι ιησους εστιν 21:5 λεγει ουν αυτοις ο ιησους παιδια μη τι προσφαγιον εχετε απεκριθησαν αυτω ου 21:6 ο δε ειπεν αυτοις βαλετε εις τα δεξια μερη του πλοιου το δικτυον και ευρησετε εβαλον ουν και ουκετι αυτο ελκυσαι ισχυσαν απο του πληθους των ιχθυων 21:7 λεγει ουν ο μαθητης εκεινος ον ηγαπα ο ιησους τω πετρω ο κυριος εστιν σιμων ουν πετρος ακουσας οτι ο κυριος εστιν τον επενδυτην διεζωσατο ην γαρ γυμνος και εβαλεν εαυτον εις την θαλασσαν 21:8 οι δε αλλοι μαθηται τω πλοιαριω ηλθον ου γαρ ησαν μακραν απο της γης αλλ ως απο πηχων διακοσιων συροντες το δικτυον των ιχθυων

21:9 ως ουν απεβησαν εις την γην βλεπουσιν ανθρακιαν κειμενην και οψαριον επικειμενον και αρτον 21:10 λεγει αυτοις ο ιησους ενεγκατε απο των οψαριων ων επιασατε νυν 21:11 ανεβη σιμων πετρος και ειλκυσεν το δικτυον επι της γης μεστον ιχθυων μεγαλων εκατον πεντηκοντα τριων και τοσουτων οντων ουκ εσχισθη το δικτυον 21:12 λεγει αυτοις ο ιησους δευτε αριστησατε ουδεις δε ετολμα των μαθητων εξετασαι αυτον συ τις ει ειδοτες οτι ο κυριος εστιν 21:13 ερχεται ουν ο ιησους και λαμβανει τον αρτον και διδωσιν αυτοις και το οψαριον ομοιως 21:14 τουτο ηδη τριτον εφανερωθη ο ιησους τοις μαθηταις αυτου εγερθεις εκ νεκρων

John 21:15-19

Bela Csendes, “Peter,” Divine Inspiration, p. 562
Stanley Hauerwas, “Do You Love Me?” Minding the Web, p. 176-180

“Do You Love Me?”

To ask to be loved suggests a vulnerability that we are not sure Jesus should have. (p.178)

For to love Jesus is to be so overwhelmed by his life that we no longer think we must choose between love of ourselves, love of others, and love of God. 

     … So when Jesus asks Peter if he loves him, he is not suggesting that Peter should try harder. Rather his question is meant to help Peter discover the love that has already possessed his life.  (p. 180)

Jane Kenyon, “Back from the City,” Otherwise, p. 61

“Back from the City”

After three days and nights of rich food
and late talk in overheated rooms,
of walks between mounds of garbage
and human forms bedded down for the night
under rags, I come back to my dooryard,
to my own wooden step.

The last red leaves fall to the ground
and frost has blackened the herbs and asters
that grew beside the porch. The air
is still and cool, and the withered grass
lies flat in the field. A nuthatch spirals
down the rough trunk of the tree.

At the Cloisters I indulged in piety
while gazing at a painted lindenwood Pietá—
Mary holding her pierced and desiccated son
across her knees; but when a man stepped close
under the tasseled awning of the hotel,
asking for “a quarter for someone
down on his luck,” I quickly turned my back.

Now I hear tiny bits of bark and moss
break off under the bird’s beak and claw,
and fall onto already-fallen leaves.
“Do you love me?” said Christ to his disciple.
“Lord, you know
that I love you.”
“Then feed my sheep.”

Jean Vanier, “The Cry of the Poor” We Need Each Other, p. 5-18

“The Cry of the Poor”

Jesus asks Peter the same question, “Do you love me?”  By asking this, Jesus shows his vulnerability and his need for love.  Jesus teaches us that he is one with the poor.

15-19    Ezekiel 34:1-16
15-17    2 Samuel 7:7
19         Mark 8:34

15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”  16 A second time he said to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”  17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.  18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go.”  19 (This he said to show by what death he was to glorify God.) And after this he said to him, “Follow me.”

21:15 οτε ουν ηριστησαν λεγει τω σιμωνι πετρω ο ιησους σιμων ιωνα αγαπας με πλειον τουτων λεγει αυτω ναι κυριε συ οιδας οτι φιλω σε λεγει αυτω βοσκε τα αρνια μου 21:16 λεγει αυτω παλιν δευτερον σιμων ιωνα αγαπας με λεγει αυτω ναι κυριε συ οιδας οτι φιλω σε λεγει αυτω ποιμαινε τα προβατα μου 21:17 λεγει αυτω το τριτον σιμων ιωνα φιλεις με ελυπηθη ο πετρος οτι ειπεν αυτω το τριτον φιλεις με και ειπεν αυτω κυριε συ παντα οιδας συ γινωσκεις οτι φιλω σε λεγει αυτω ο ιησους βοσκε τα προβατα μου 21:18 αμην αμην λεγω σοι οτε ης νεωτερος εζωννυες σεαυτον και περιεπατεις οπου ηθελες οταν δε γηρασης εκτενεις τας χειρας σου και αλλος σε ζωσει και οισει οπου ου θελεις 21:19 τουτο δε ειπεν σημαινων ποιω θανατω δοξασει τον θεον και τουτο ειπων λεγει αυτω ακολουθει μοι

John 21:20-25

20    John 13:25
25    Psalm 40:5; John 20:30

20 Peter turned and saw following them the disciple whom Jesus loved, who had lain close to his breast at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!”  23 The saying spread abroad among the brethren that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

24 This is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things, and who has written these things; and we know that his testimony is true. 25 But there are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

21:20 επιστραφεις δε ο πετρος βλεπει τον μαθητην ον ηγαπα ο ιησους ακολουθουντα ος και ανεπεσεν εν τω δειπνω επι το στηθος αυτου και ειπεν κυριε τις εστιν ο παραδιδους σε 21:21 τουτον ιδων ο πετρος λεγει τω ιησου κυριε ουτος δε τι 21:22 λεγει αυτω ο ιησους εαν αυτον θελω μενειν εως ερχομαι τι προς σε συ ακολουθει μοι 21:23 εξηλθεν ουν ο λογος ουτος εις τους αδελφους οτι ο μαθητης εκεινος ουκ αποθνησκει και ουκ ειπεν αυτω ο ιησους οτι ουκ αποθνησκει αλλ εαν αυτον θελω μενειν εως ερχομαι τι προς σε

21:24 ουτος εστιν ο μαθητης ο μαρτυρων περι τουτων και γραψας ταυτα και οιδαμεν οτι αληθης εστιν η μαρτυρια αυτου 21:25 εστιν δε και αλλα πολλα οσα εποιησεν ο ιησους ατινα εαν γραφηται καθ εν ουδε αυτον οιμαι τον κοσμον χωρησαι τα γραφομενα βιβλια αμην