Gospel Reflection on John 21:1-19

May 4, 2025

After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 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.

Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 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. 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. 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.

When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 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. 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. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

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Happy Easter. Perhaps the key question that comes to us as we continue our Easter journey is the one that Jesus puts to Peter. Do you love me? Peter had betrayed Jesus in his most needy hour, not out of malice, but out of weakness. And now facing Jesus for the first time, Peter's uncomfortable.

What do you say after betraying someone? Well, he didn't really need to say anything. Jesus took the initiative, and he didn't excuse Peter. Jesus didn't say things like it's perfectly understandable to be afraid in a situation like that. You weren't really yourself. I understand how that can happen.

He didn't even tell Peter that he still loves him. None of that. He simply asked Peter, do you love me? And when Peter said yes, everything moved forward.

No excuses were needed. The excusable doesn't need to be excused, and the inexcusable cannot be excused. Our humanity already explains why we are prone to betrayal. What needs to be spoken in the wake of betrayal is a reaffirmation of love. Yes.

Apologies are important both for the one offering and the one receiving. Until then, there's always unfinished business. However, apologies and contrition are not what ultimately moves things forward. When a relationship has been wounded or broken, what moves things forward is a renewed commitment to love, to a deeper faithfulness. That doesn't give us permission to appeal to our inept human nature as an excuse for betrayal or stupidity.

We're human. The lesson rather is that whenever our ineptness has us fall into betrayal, what ultimately moves things forward is a renewed commitment. And that is exactly what Peter experiences. It is what stretches him, takes him in a different direction. Jesus says to Peter after he restates his commitment, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will put a rope around you and take you where you would rather not go.

What Jesus is describing is Peter's baptism and the dynamics of any real baptism. Baptism consecrates us. Consecration is like a conscriptive rope that takes us where we would rather not go, namely into that suffering that helps us to grow. We tend to think of consecration as having something to do with a church building, an altar, or maybe religious vows or or a religious habit. But to consecrate means to set aside, to displace from ordinary usage.

To be consecrated by baptism means we're called out of our normal agenda, set aside in service to the church, the community of faith, in service to the common good. We see that happen in marriage. Couples have children and those children are like a rope that take them where they had never planned to go. We all have made mistakes and failed. And during Easter, we're called to renew our commitment and to renew our baptism and to accept that, yes, the Lord has put a constrictive rope around us and called us to service.

And that service will involve suffering, and that suffering will give us maturity and grace. Our response to his question is always, Lord, you know I love you.