John 21

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

John 21

The conclusion of the Gospel of John - has it really been three weeks?  I will have to choose a new book of the Bible tomorrow.

Two things really struck me in this final chapter.  The first is the simpler one, so I will begin there.  I love that Peter went fishing.  I love that after all the wonders and the doubting of Thomas and the putting of hands in the nails, Peter looked about the room and said, "Well, I guess I'll go back to my old job."

Or he thought it would give him some kind of peace and clarity to go about the familiar work he had done so long without Jesus.  The way that we must all, even knowing our loved ones are dead but not gone, find ways to live our lives without them in it.  I'm not surprised Peter turned to the work he had done before he met Jesus.  And I'm not surprised Jesus had to gently call him once again.

And then, with the three questions, Jesus makes sure that Peter understands what he is to do now.  Because Peter seemed so lost for the next step, because he thought of moving backwards, Jesus appears to recreate his initial call to ministry and then to explain gently what Peter must do.

It's kind and gentle and oh so very real.

And perhaps I should end there, with that lovely little reflection.

But it does amuse me tonight, the way it has always puzzled me before, that John refers to himself in his gospel as the disciple whom Jesus loved.  And I wonder if that's how they all felt - that they were the slightly special one or that they were the one whom Jesus just loved.  That the reason they were there in what they had all at one point assumed was a conspiracy to topple Rome was just that the great leader loved them and wanted them at His side.

I wonder if He made them all feel that way, if they all thought of themselves either proudly or humbly as the one that Jesus loved.

I know He makes me feel that way.