All Is Forgiven

Homily for Saturday of the Seventh Week in Eastertide

Chapter twenty of the Gospel of St. John ends with these words: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of [his] disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may [come to] believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.” Apparently, he had an afterthought because chapter twenty-one appears with yet new material and another appearance of the risen Jesus. Interestingly, St. John concludes this chapter with similar words as those with which he ended chapter twenty. “There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written.”

One possible explanation for this addition to the Gospel is the fact that the Beloved Disciple St. John’s Gospel, appears in both chapter one and chapter twenty-one. The sacred author often uses this rhetorical device, called an “inclusio,” throughout the Gospel. This device acts as bookends, as it were. When he uses it in other parts of the Gospel, he is signaling that the material that lies between the two bookends is a single or complete story or discourse. By using this Beloved Disciple in the first and twenty-first chapters, he is signaling that the material that lies between these two bookends is the eyewitness account of someone who can be trusted.

Chapter twenty-one includes three distinct elements: miraculous catch of fish, the rehabilitation of St. Peter, and an account of the death of the Beloved Disciple. Although the Beloved Disciple is never named in the Gospel, tradition holds that it is the Apostle John, the brother of James and that the son of Alpheus.

The miraculous catch of 153 fish is reminiscent of another episode from the Gospels of Mark and Matthew. In this episode, however, he offers a specific number. St. Jerome maintained that the Greek zoologists had catalogued 153 different species of fish. So, the number might be used in order to emphasize the universality of the mission of the apostles.

Peter’s rehabilitation is mentioned because in the other Gospels Jesus has named him the rock on which he will build his church. After his threefold denial of Christ during the passion narrative, it would seem that he is not fit for this role. However, Jesus obviously for gives him through his threefold question. He emphasizes that Peter is to feed and tend the flock, and he adds the very significant words, “Follow me.”

Finally, the words about the death of the Beloved Disciple are similar to the words that we read in the Acts of the Apostles when the disciples asked if this was the time in which Jesus would restore the kingdom of Israel. As he did in that instance, once again Jesus tells the apostles that this is not their concern. God will take care of this.

It is important that the sacred author added this last chapter for several reasons. However, the greatest of those reasons is the mercy that Jesus shows to St. Peter. It is one last reminder that forgiveness of sins is never to be questioned. This alone gives us great hope. As we receive the Eucharist today, Jesus for gives all of our faults and failings and asks that we simply put our trust in him.