John 21

Come and have breakfast…

JOHN 21:01-25

1After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. 2Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will also come with you.” They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.

4But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5So Jesus said to them, “Children, you do not have any fish, do you?” They answered Him, “No.” 6And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch.” So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. 7Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. 8But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish.

9So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread. 10Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have now caught.”11Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.

12Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples ventured to question Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord. 13Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish likewise. 14This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.

15So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.” 16He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” 17He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.

18“Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go. ” 19Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me!”

20Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” 21So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?” 22Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!” 23Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?”

24This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

25And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.

JOHN 21:01-03

…that night they caught nothing

These were professional fishing experts. They made their living in the waters of Tiberias, it’s hard to believe that they caught nothing after hours on the water.

Have you ever had a day like that? When it felt like you were “catching nothing?”

There was an important reason they were ALL out on the boat catching NOTHING that morning.

On the days that you feel you’re “catching nothing,” it is good to reflect that perhaps there is a reason and great joy lies just beyond what lies evident.

JOHN 21:04-08

…he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea

Peter’s outer robe would have been heavy and heavier still in the water. He must have been in really good shape to do a 100-yard swim in a wet, heavy cloak. It is interesting that he stops to put this on despite all of his enthusiasm upon recognizing Jesus. These two friends (Jesus and Peter) would have been most familiar with each other having traveled together all over Galilee for three years. Why the sudden burst of modesty?

We can only think that Peter felt he had already offended Jesus by his denial and that he wanted to make sure that he did nothing that would further offend his resurrected Lord.

Does this support the dress code of many churches?

When I led a congregation, I always tried to dress so that the least comfortable person who might come that day would feel relaxed, but respected. I know a lot of people think we should dress so people feel impressed.

Jesus had one cloak made of a seamless cloth. No doubt such a cloak would be a treasure (the soldiers at the cross bartered for it). It would have been traditional wear, not stylish, but practical.

If the clothes DO make that person (as some say), I would like people to think that I was respectful and practical. Living in Mexico—as I am fortunate enough to do—I try not to wear my gym shorts in public venues. If I’m going out, it is impractical to wear long pants and a suit coat; in fact, I would think of that as ostentatious.

Peter is not seeking to impress Jesus, but he is also seeking to NOT offend him.

JOHN 21:09-12

…they saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread

The apostles recognize the risen Jesus in the cooking of breakfast. Indeed, THIS should be spoken of as The LAST Supper. It has as many great lessons to teach us as the supper before Jesus’ death and betrayal. This breakfast is about service and new beginnings, forgiveness and joy.

We are led to believe that the resurrected Jesus would have no need for food, so this is a completely selfless act. We should also know that Jesus could have passed this task on to someone else—if he didn’t think it was important. But to the resurrected Jesus, this was the most important usage of the remaining window of time he had left on earth, and it is the first action he takes so they might recognize him. A time to serve, a time to gather, a time to rejoice and offer opportunities for forgiveness. It was the first act he wanted his disciples to see him doing after they had been totally devastated by his crucifixion and burial. This act of service was Jesus’ way of helping the disciples return to a sense of peace.

Jesus is recognized in an act of selfless service, is that how people recognize us?

This simple breakfast would have been bread, fish and wine. Wine because it was the only safe drinking beverage available to the poor—even children would drink it. Wine was not generally ingested for its alcohol content; it was drunk because the alcohol content would have made it hygienic. Like in many developing parts of our world, water was not safe for consumption.

We should not get caught up in the bread and fish and start a ritual around token wafers and/or sardines. That would be focusing on the wrong aspect of the day. We should be caught up in the act of service and invitation to share a meal.

We can offer this action whenever we walk through our streets and see someone hungry or asking for assistance. Instead of giving that person some change from your pocket, invite them to share a meal with you or bring a meal to them—then take the time to learn their name and share yours. Every time I have done this, I have been met with appreciation—especially learning someone’s name. That seems even more important (or just as) to the person as the food.

We are all seeking community and belonging. We long to hear our names called in love. This is the simplest act of profound love we can often offer to the excluded people of our community.

…a hundred and fifty-three

I think this section should be called The WOULD People.

Who took the time to count the fish that morning? It shows us what an unusual bounty the apostles had received. After a night of not catching anything, a stranger on the beach (they didn’t know who it was) tells them to cast off a different side and they have a catch so large they are amazed the net does not break. I’ve heard this would amount to four months of breakfasts.

Does this show how much the apostles were seeking signs of hope? That they would cast off to a different side of the boat based upon the opinion of a drifter after an exhausting night of wasted effort.

More likely the disciples wanted a memorable marker for future generations to see how amazing the catch of the morning was. Fishing was so important to them and they used it to point to something else. The resurrected Jesus returned and provided a bounty so rich that no one will ever be able to believe. No other catch could compare (or in their minds WOULD compare).

To them, this was an example of what WOULD happen if we were willing to live through that darkest of times. We WOULD have unbelievable blessings.

Are we a WOULD people?

JOHN 21:12-18

Jesus was manifested…

When did Jesus become manifest? After the trials of his crucifixion and the despair of his burial. Then, in an act of service, he became unquestionably manifest to his apostles. It’s not dissimilar for us. After trial and despair, in acts of service, true hope becomes manifest.

This leads us to ask, “Is true hope possible without trial and despair first?”

If the answer is no. That still doesn’t mean our task in life should be to seek out trial and despair. This is not what the disciples were seeking, this was how the Lord was manifesting himself. Trial and despair lead to joy in life, they are not a goal of life.

Trial and despair are like fertilizer and water in soil. They make the potentiality of growth so much more possible. Plants do best in soil that has the right amount of fertilizer and water. But we aren’t trying to GROW fertilizer and water, those are ingredients that lead to growth.

Our culture treats suffering as if it is an anomaly. What if we viewed suffering as a precursor to joy? From the perspective Francis of Assisi, “Brother Pain, what do you have to teach me today?”

· Manifested, Phaneroō, [5319], appeared, became visible, from Phaneros, [5318], disclosed, evident, from Phainō, [5316], light, flashed, shine

Peter was grieved…

Most commentaries will remark that Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?” three times. One for each time Peter denied Jesus. Some commentaries will go on to explain how Jesus changes his use of the word, love, in his final question. Asking the first two times, “Do you love me [philea] like a brother?” and the final time, “Do you love me [Agape] enough to die for me?”

The Greek wording in John doesn’t show this change in terms. What does change as the conversation progresses is what Jesus asks Peter to do.

“Tend my lambs, shepherd my sheep, tend my sheep.”

Twice he tells them to “tend” the sheep (take care of them), only once does he say “shepherd” (lead). Like having two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we talk, we lead by tending.

Jesus is inviting Peter to a leadership role, but it is a different kind of leadership; a leadership based in service, not in pride. Before Peter can be ready for such a role, he must recognize the depth of his ability to fail. Jesus takes Peter on a journey of Intentional Grieving. Before Peter can be healed, he must be humbled.

We know Peter has a tendency to be impetuous and, in his role as a leader, he often acts alone leaving others behind. He shows that same impetuousness in this chapter, HE sees Jesus, HE throws on his robe, HE dives in. HE doesn’t bring anyone with him. HE doesn’t stop to help with the overwhelming catch. HE does not share in the labor. In order to be a great leader, Peter must move from “What do I need?” to, “What do THEY need?”

This is a huge cognitive leap for a human, the LEAP to LEADERSHIP. It requires the ability to move from purely REACTING to circumstances—no matter how horrible or joyful—and to think through, what is the best RESPONSE to this circumstance, for others?

While it’s true that many people are able to stop and ask, “What’s the best response to this circumstance—for me?” A leader must move even beyond that to; “What’s the best response to this circumstance—for us?” And the question is three-fold.

1. What is best for for the people whom I lead?

2. What is best for the culture we’re building?

3. What is best for the community where we live?

This would be an example of what Abraham Maslow pointed to as the highest level of human development: Self-Transcendence. Maslow indicates that we can’t maintain the higher states of this pyramid if the lower states are crumbling. It is also important to point out—in Maslow’s theories and research—that these STEPS are not STAGES. It is not a developmental (stage) theory like Erickson, it is more behavioral. We don’t attain self-transcendence at a certain age and then stay there, we can fall back at any time. However, once we have attained a certain level, we experience in more depth, and it becomes harder to shake our foundation.

Jesus had to take Peter to his foundation and he did this by leading Peter through a process of Intentional Grieving.

It is very precarious to use Intentional Grieving as a way to help someone grow. This can only spring out of the deepest relationship. The grieving person must have complete trust and must be confident that you will not abandon them.

We can see that Peter was not asking forgiveness. In a way, it seems like he was hoping Jesus would forget all about the denials—or be so impressed with his swim that he wouldn’t bring it up. Yet, Jesus knows that this is not the path to leadership for Peter. The path to leadership is a path through forgiveness or what AA would call, Making Amends.

Christ does not lead us to forgiveness in order to produce shame or dependence. He takes us through forgiveness so that we can admit mistakes and move on. He knew if he did not help Peter admit his blind spots, then Peter would be unable to sustain the rigors of leadership. We can only lead with strength when we have examined where we are weak.

In his writings on leadership, Strengthfinder creator, Donald Clifton, was asked what the greatest combination of strengths was for leaders in the world. He said his research didn’t reveal any particular combination of traits, but that, “Great leaders lead from their strengths and build teams around their blind spots.”

Peter would lead their fledgling group through major trials and painful persecution. There were many times he stumbled and even had to be called out by other leaders (like Paul). But Peter had learned to recover from his mistakes and learn. Leaders who do not have this ability, become risk-adverse. They equate risk with failure and thus fail to become innovative leaders. Instead, they become leaders of dogma and bureaucracies that protect the status quo and squash innovation. They know how to fight to keep things from changing, but that is not what great leadership requires. Great leadership—especially in tumultuous times—requires leaders who are not afraid to fail and therefore, leaders who can recover from looking foolish.

· Tend, boskō, [1006], to feed, to herd

· Lamb, arnion, [721b], little lamb, from arēn, [704], little lambs

· Shepherd, poimainō, [4165], to act as a shepherd, to tend, to care for, from poimēn, [4166], a shepherd, a pastor

· Sheep, probation, [4263b], a little sheep, from probaton, [4263a], small animals in a herd, especially sheep

· Grieved, lupeō, 3076, distress, caused grief, from lupē, [3077], to cause sorrow

JOHN 21:20-25

24This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

25And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.

… what is that to you?

This story illustrates just how small we can be…

Joyous that Jesus has been resurrected and having just been forgiven of his greatest failure then asked to be a leader, Peter wants to undermine Jesus’ love for John. John, in turn, thought this was a critical tidbit of information that history should know about Peter.

These insecurities fostered accusations that almost undermined the fragile and forming church before it even began.

Jesus’ response to Peter’s jealousy is pointed, even harsh, but a reply we must internalize for our own well-being. “What is that to you?” or, “It’s none of your business—that’s between John and I.”

Jesus doesn’t tell Peter it was NOT John; he doesn’t tell Peter it WAS Judas. Instead, he tells Peter, “That’s for me to decide.”

How many of the trivial jealousies and aggravations in our lives need the response, “It’s not your business, that’s between them and I (Jesus).”

No doubt, most of them. It is a debilitating trait when we tend to focus more on people’s imperfections than their possibilities. What habits do I need to develop to make me a “Possibility Person,” instead of an Imperfection Investigator?

It wouldn’t hurt many people—and me at times—to make part of my daily mantra, “It’s none of my business, that is between their God and them.”