Loving Jesus

Loving Jesus

Jn 21: 1 – 19

Third Sunday of Easter

Introduction

The Gospel today continues with stories of Jesus’ resurrection. This resurrection story, however, happens at the Sea of Tiberias and not in Jerusalem. Here, Jesus encounters his disciples while they were fishing. Our reading also recounts the conversation between Jesus and Peter and how Jesus commanded Peter to take care of the Lord’s sheepfold as a true expression of Peter’s love for him.

The Gospel

            Today’s reading narrates to us how Jesus appeared to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias in Galilee. Most of the resurrection stories in John occur in Jerusalem. This one happens in Galilee, the home region of Jesus and a number of his disciples. There at the Sea of Tiberias, we learn that the disciples were fishing and that they haven’t caught any fish all night long. Then early in the morning, they hear someone on the shore asking them: “ Children, have you caught anything to eat? “ They answered the stranger: “ No.” So the stranger told them : “ Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” The disciples did as they were told. Then lo and behold, they couldn’t pull the nets because of the large number of fish they caught.

Then almost instinctively, John, also called the beloved disciple recognized that the stranger was Jesus and told Peter: “ It is the Lord.” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea.

Their boat was not far away from shore. So the disciples came back to shore and there saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread. Jesus asked them to bring some of the fish they’ve caught. So Simon dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish. Then Jesus invited them for breakfast saying: “ Come, have breakfast.” While they realized that it was Jesus, no one dared asked him who he was. This tells us that the resurrected Lord’s appearance seemed unrecognizable from how Jesus looked like before he died. Jesus then came over and took the bread and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish.

After breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter: “ Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” Peter said to him, “ Yes Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him: “ Feed my lambs.” Jesus asked the same question twice again. Each time Peter answered: “ Yes, Lord, you know that I love you,” Jesus would say: “ Feed my sheep. “

Then as if predicting Peter’s death, Jesus said to Peter: “ Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted: but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this somehow to signify by what kind of death Peter would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, “ Follow me.”

Reflection

The story of Jesus’ appearance to some of his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias after he rose from the dead, can teach us a thing or two about loving Jesus. These lessons can be gleaned from two of the story’s characters - Peter and John. In this reading we see love presented to us with four faces; each face beautifully illustrated by John’s and Peter’s encounter with the risen Lord.

The first face of love in this reading is about John who was also called the beloved disciple. In the story, it is the beloved disciple alone who was able to recognize Jesus from afar. Immediately, after recognizing Jesus, he tells Simon Peter: “ It is the Lord!” The other disciples, on the other hand, didn’t recognize Jesus while they were on the boat; and even when they have gone to shore and have taken a meal with Jesus by the fireside, they still were unable to recognize him that well.

Love has a way of sensing even without seeing or speaking. It was the deep love of the beloved disciple for Jesus that made him see Jesus even if Jesus wasn’t recognizable or visible. To be able to see and sense Jesus through faith is a fruit of one’s love for Jesus.

The second face of love concerns Simon Peter, who after being told by John that it was Jesus, quickly put some clothes on and without hesitation jumped off the boat to swim towards Jesus. While the other disciples were busy hauling the nets, Peter left everything just to be with Jesus. The sea didn’t  prevent Peter from coming close to his Master. He just wanted to be with Jesus.

Love wants the presence of the beloved. For Peter, being with Jesus was everything. To see Jesus, to speak to him and to be with him was Peter’s way of telling Jesus that he loved the Lord. 

The third face of love in this reading was when Jesus approached Peter asking him three times if indeed Peter loved him. We know that Peter affirmed his love for Jesus also three times and told Jesus that he indeed loved him. Jesus, then tells Peter to feed the sheepfold; to care for his fellowmen; to serve them and give them a shepherd’s care. Loving Jesus then, is a commitment too to love and serve one’s fellowmen. Without this commitment, our love for Jesus degenerates into mere sentimentalism. Words don’t mean much when they are not concretized. Our love for Jesus only becomes real when we commit to serve and love our neighbor in the same way that Jesus served and loved us.

Lastly, the fourth face of love concerns Peter once more. After Jesus describes how Peter was to die, he tells Peter: “ Follow me.” The fourth face of love is when one follows Jesus by taking up one’s cross. Peter’s martyrdom was his way of telling the Lord that he loved him through and through. Peter lived his days loving the Lord. And even in death, he wanted to die like Jesus because of his great love for the one who gave up his life for him.

What then are the four faces of love in loving Jesus? 1. It is recognizing Jesus through faith. 2. It is wanting to be with him. 3. It is committing oneself to serve one’s fellowmen. 4. It is dying with him so that in dying with him, we too may live with him forever in glory.

Prayer

Jesus, your resurrection shows us how your disciples responded to you in love. Teach us risen Lord to love you. To see you through faith, to be in your presence, to love you by loving others and to love you by carrying my cross daily with you. Amen.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” – 1 Cor 13: 4 - 7