September 2023 Print

By Pater Inutilis

Some propose that the gospel of St. John was happily concluded with the end of chapter 20, where John said Jesus did many more signs than what has been recorded, “but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God; and that believing, you may have life in his name” (20:30f). Then chapter 21, the whole of which is found only in the fourth gospel, would be an appendix or afterthought: maybe occasioned by the silly idea spreading that John would not die (vs. 23).¹ To refute which, he tells us of its beginning, recalling all that happened that day. Be it as it may, the Holy Ghost wanted him to write all that he did write here, and notably Our Lord’s conferring of the supreme pastoral office on Peter. That may have seemed superfluous, Jesus having already foretold that the Church would be built upon Peter (Mt. 16:18); and, when St. John writes his gospel, the Church was already used to Rome exercising the primacy.² It is St. Luke who tells us the risen Christ stayed 40 days with His disciples “speaking of the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). Little was written, much remained as the “oral word” of Christ. But subsequent centuries are grateful that this conferral of the primacy was also recorded. This was on the occasion of Our Lord’s third apparition to His disciples (vs. 14) after His resurrection.

St. Peter wanted to go fishing.³ St. John is pleased to note that St. Thomas is no longer apart, but one in mind and heart with them (vs. 2). [He even notes that the “sons of Zebedee” were there too!—the closest he gets to talking about his own family.] Again,⁴ after a fruitless night of fishing, Jesus comes and calls to them, unrecognized. “Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and you shall find. They cast therefore, and now were not able to draw it, for the multitude of fishes” (vs. 6). Again.⁵ “It is the Lord” (vs. 7), John is the first, at least, to exclaim. Peter is Peter—ardent and impulsive. He jumps into the water to get to Jesus more quickly. Again.⁶

This whole third coming of Christ to His apostles was especially for Peter, but for Peter before witnesses.⁷ “When therefore they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter: Simon, son of John, lovest thou me more than these (love me)?” (vs. 15). Peter is much confounded. He had so recently averred: “Although all shall be scandalized in thee, yet not I” (Mk. 14:29). “Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee” (vs. 15); but he will not say “more than these.” English has the one verb, “to love.” Latin has two, which St. Augustine says mean the same. But St. Ambrose remarks that here they are used designedly for two Greek verbs that are not the same. The one is more a love of will, the other a love of heart. It is the latter which St. Peter uses each time, and Jesus too the third. He had used the former the first two times He questioned Peter. He wants this threefold profession of love, in reparation for the threefold denial of Him (18, vs. 17, 25 & 27). But there is a further reward: “Feed my lambs… Feed my lambs… Feed my sheep” (vs. 15-17).⁸ Peter is not to go back to fishing; he must begin his office of catching men (Lk. 5:10). And his is the power, in Christ’s name, over the whole flock. And to love the flock, for Christ’s sake, is a necessary qualification for a good shepherd (I Pet. 5:2f).

Love of Christ makes further demands, “Follow thou me” (vs. 22). For all, this will mean denying oneself and taking up one’s cross (Mt. 16:24, etc.). For Peter, it will mean actual crucifixion (vs. 18f). Peter notices the “disciple whom Jesus loved” (vs. 20) and, curious, asks of his fate (vs. 21). Our Lord lets him know that this curiosity is misplaced, and that it should not concern Peter even if John were to live to Jesus’ second coming (vs. 22). This was the beginning of the rumor, which John is taking pains to deny, that he would not die (vs. 23).⁹ Thanks to his inspired writings, though, “he being dead yet speaketh” (Heb. 11:4).

It is time for St. John to conclude (again) his gospel, and this time for good. He can’t possibly write all that Jesus said and did; he will have to leave much unwritten (vs. 25). But “that which we have seen and have heard, we declare unto you, that you also may have fellowship with us, and our fellowship may be with the Father, and with His Son, Jesus Christ” (I Jn. 1:3).

Endnotes

¹ Had he not been thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil and survived? (Martyrology, May 6).

² It is reckoned that the Apocalypse was written during the reign of Domitian (81–96), under whom he was thrown into boiling oil, and then exiled to Patmos; his gospel, in the very first years of Trajan (98–117), under whom he soon died (Martyrology, December 27). But details are not certain here. For example, however, in 96 AD or so, troubles in the Church at Corinth called for intervention: this was not from St. John, still living and the last of the apostles alive, but from St. Clement, bishop of Rome, who authoritatively and uninvited does intervene. This is the “(First) Epistle to the Corinthians” of St. Clement. [A “second” is spurious.] Upon “Peter” was the Church built. [St. Ignatius of Antioch, writing within a decade of St. John’s death to the Church at Rome, addresses it: “…to the Church… which also presides in the chief place of the Roman territory, a church worthy of God, worthy of honor, worthy of felicitation, worthy of praise, worthy of success, worthy of sanctification, and presiding in love…”: language he does not use for any of the other churches he addresses.]

³ I.e., “back to fishing,” while awaiting further developments. St. Paul, in particular, notes that the apostles didn’t need to work, for “the Lord ordained that they who preach the gospel, should live by the gospel” (I Cor. 9:14); and yet he insisted upon continuing his trade as a tentmaker, providing for himself and his fellow-laborers, so as not to burden the new communities, nor be a scandal to them. Cf. II Thess. 3:8; Acts 20:33f; Acts 18:3.

⁴ As Lk. 5:5.

⁵ As Lk. 5:6.

⁶ Mt. 14:28f.

⁷ Unlike that of Lk. 24:34; I Cor. 15:5.

⁸ In the original Greek: Feed my lambs, feed my little sheep, feed my sheep. Which could apply to the pastoral office over the laity and religious, and over their “mothers,” the bishops (cf. Gal. 4:19). In any case, Peter is supreme pastor (on earth) overall, and can exhort other pastors “Feed the flock of God which is among you, etc.” (I Pet. 5:2). Jesus Christ remains the “prince of pastors” (I Pet. 5:4).

⁹ In the days of St. Augustine, some, not he, still believed John was alive in his tomb at Ephesus, asserting that “there the earth is in sensible commotion, and presents a kind of heaving appearance… occasioned by his breathing” (Tr. CXXIV in Jn.).

TITLE IMAGE: Appearance on Lake Tiberias, Duccio di Buoninsegna, between 1308 and 1311.