18/04: Third Sunday of Easter (C)
Category: General
Posted by: tonycurrer
It is interesting to take notice of the list of disciples that feature in this story:
Simon Peter, Thomas the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two m ore of his disciples were together.
This is a Star Trek type list. It’s in the form of a mission from the Starship Enterprise: Captain Kirk, Mr Spock, Dr. “Bones” McCoy, perhaps Lieutenant Uhura, and two others. And on such missions it’s obvious from the start who won’t be making it back in one piece. If this was Star Trek instead of the gospel we wouldn’t give these last two disciples a prayer of making it back from the fishing trip.
The surprising thing about the gospel is that one of these two is in fact a very significant character: one of these two, last-mentioned, unnamed disciples is the disciple that Jesus loved. And although largely a background figure in this episode, he provides an essential background for the main action.
The emphasis in our gospel is on Christian leadership and ministry, on Peter, the first-mentioned and named. Peter, the leader, initiates the fishing expedition. At the centre of our gospel there is the breakfast at which Jesus breaks bread. It is a Eucharistic breakfast, and Peter performs what seems to be a liturgical function. Peter is already on the shore with Jesus as the rest of the disciples come on in the boat dragging the net of fish. Jesus asks for some of the fish and Peter goes to bring the fish to the Jesus and the charcoal fire. It sounds a little bit like an offertory procession at a modern mass with Peter as the priest receiving the gifts and bringing them to the altar. Lastly there is the protracted conversation between Jesus and Peter. There is an emphasis on Peter’s faith and love of the Lord as well as a command to tend and feed the flock of believers.
However, if Peter (ministry and leadership) is in the foreground, we shouldn’t forget the background. Our gospel closes with Jesus commanding Peter to “Follow me.” If we had read on one more line we would have heard this: “Peter turned and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them”. In the background, then, as Jesus asks repeatedly, “Do you love me?” is the disciple that Jesus loved. In the background as Jesus commands Peter to follow is this same disciple, already following.
This last mentioned and unnamed disciple is just anonymously in the crowd that goes fishing and that lugs the offering ashore, and is just among those invited to the Eucharistic breakfast. But it is this unnamed disciple who is the one to name the unrecognised stranger on the shore: “It is the Lord.”
This gospel is about Christian ministry: the necessary role of liturgical ministry and the necessary ministry of leadership. The gospel tells us that ministry must be rooted in a loving relationship with the Lord, hence Jesus three-times-asked question: “Do you love me?”
But all the while the gospel writer is talking about Christian ministry -its necessity and basis in faith- all the while he is talking about Peter the first named, he keeps in view the last mentioned unnamed disciple. For important as Christian ministry is, as much as it need be rooted in faith and a loving relationship with the Lord, the holiness and faith of the Church is not to be located and not to be carried by its ministers and its leaders. The faith of the Church and the holiness of the Church lies in the nameless disciple that Jesus loves, who follows, who recognises the presence of the risen Lord, and who cries out, “It is the Lord!”
Simon Peter, Thomas the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two m ore of his disciples were together.
This is a Star Trek type list. It’s in the form of a mission from the Starship Enterprise: Captain Kirk, Mr Spock, Dr. “Bones” McCoy, perhaps Lieutenant Uhura, and two others. And on such missions it’s obvious from the start who won’t be making it back in one piece. If this was Star Trek instead of the gospel we wouldn’t give these last two disciples a prayer of making it back from the fishing trip.
The surprising thing about the gospel is that one of these two is in fact a very significant character: one of these two, last-mentioned, unnamed disciples is the disciple that Jesus loved. And although largely a background figure in this episode, he provides an essential background for the main action.
The emphasis in our gospel is on Christian leadership and ministry, on Peter, the first-mentioned and named. Peter, the leader, initiates the fishing expedition. At the centre of our gospel there is the breakfast at which Jesus breaks bread. It is a Eucharistic breakfast, and Peter performs what seems to be a liturgical function. Peter is already on the shore with Jesus as the rest of the disciples come on in the boat dragging the net of fish. Jesus asks for some of the fish and Peter goes to bring the fish to the Jesus and the charcoal fire. It sounds a little bit like an offertory procession at a modern mass with Peter as the priest receiving the gifts and bringing them to the altar. Lastly there is the protracted conversation between Jesus and Peter. There is an emphasis on Peter’s faith and love of the Lord as well as a command to tend and feed the flock of believers.
However, if Peter (ministry and leadership) is in the foreground, we shouldn’t forget the background. Our gospel closes with Jesus commanding Peter to “Follow me.” If we had read on one more line we would have heard this: “Peter turned and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them”. In the background, then, as Jesus asks repeatedly, “Do you love me?” is the disciple that Jesus loved. In the background as Jesus commands Peter to follow is this same disciple, already following.
This last mentioned and unnamed disciple is just anonymously in the crowd that goes fishing and that lugs the offering ashore, and is just among those invited to the Eucharistic breakfast. But it is this unnamed disciple who is the one to name the unrecognised stranger on the shore: “It is the Lord.”
This gospel is about Christian ministry: the necessary role of liturgical ministry and the necessary ministry of leadership. The gospel tells us that ministry must be rooted in a loving relationship with the Lord, hence Jesus three-times-asked question: “Do you love me?”
But all the while the gospel writer is talking about Christian ministry -its necessity and basis in faith- all the while he is talking about Peter the first named, he keeps in view the last mentioned unnamed disciple. For important as Christian ministry is, as much as it need be rooted in faith and a loving relationship with the Lord, the holiness and faith of the Church is not to be located and not to be carried by its ministers and its leaders. The faith of the Church and the holiness of the Church lies in the nameless disciple that Jesus loves, who follows, who recognises the presence of the risen Lord, and who cries out, “It is the Lord!”
