IT IS THE LORD

HOMILY FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

The Gospel (John 21:1-19) is the story of the third appearance of Jesus to his disciples. In order to appreciate better the significance of this third appearance, we need to refresh our minds of the first and second appearances. John started his account of the resurrection of Jesus by telling the story of the empty tomb, where Peter and John who had ran to the tomb on account of the story of Mary Magdalene discovered that it was really empty. After this discovery, and as the men went home, John tells us that Mary stood outside and then had to peep inside the tomb. She saw two angels who asked her why she was weeping, but then on turning round, she saw a man who she would later discover to be Jesus. Off she went to the disciples with the announcement: I have seen the Lord. This is the first appearance. The second is the story of Jesus’ appearance to the disciples in a closed room (the Gospel of the previous Sunday), where Thomas who doubted later on believed with the great profession of faith: my Lord and my God. And now, we encounter the third story of the apparitions, where Jesus appeared to seven disciples in the open place, at the sea of Tiberias, and where the disciples whom Jesus loved (John) discovered it was Jesus and then told Peter: It is the Lord. This means that these stories of the appearances all came with a sort of profession of the messiahship of Jesus which was the intention John had for the readers; that anyone who read the Gospel would discover Jesus as the Lord. As the first appearance was to the woman, the second was to the disciples in a closed room, and the third was to some disciples in an open place. All these appearances started with a sort of irrecognition and disbelief. The woman did not recognize it was the Lord -Thomas did not believe it was the Lord -the disciples did not recognize it was Jesus. And now, the scene has changed from the phobia in the closed room in Jerusalem to the occupation in the open air at the sea of Tiberias.

The Gospel of John in its entirety has been known as the gospel of signs and symbols, with great theological and ecclesiological relevance. And now, we can start imagining the meanings underneath the numerous signs, numbers and symbols in the gospel of today. There are three logical parts of this gospel: the miraculous catch of fish, the meal on the shore and the appointment of Peter as the head. The details of these parts abound with symbolic meanings for the Church today.

First Part: The number of the disciples that went fishing were seven in number which makes for a full number who had failed to appreciate the spirit and the mission they had received in the second appearance. Peter had lured them into going fishing; into going back to the previous occupation. And the disciples had failed to understand their new vocation based on the spirit and the empowerment they received in the closed room. Of course, they laboured in vain, and acting on their own, they caught nothing. They left the great commission their master had given them, and had to face now weariness and emptiness as a result of the exhaustion from a job that yielded nothing. Just after daybreak, Jesus appeared on the shore and even though they did not recognize him, showed them the right place to cast their nets: cast the net to the right side of the boat and you will catch something. With the execution of this direction, they hauled in a great number of fish. The empty net became filled up. The nothingness of their occupation turned into abundance. The Lord’s presence is a great insurance for abundance.

The great number of fish caught was 153, and even though they were so many, the net was not torn. There have been many interpretations of this number, but most likely, it might have been a reference to the number of species of fish then classified. This would signify the mission of the Church to all nations, to all races, and to all human species. That net that was not torn would mean the sign of unity in a community of diverse cultures and races. Yes, the net could contain all the species, just as the Church should contain and embrace all races. In the face of this miraculous catch, John’s eye was opened to recognize Jesus. It is the Lord, he said. As Peter heard this, he put on some clothes and jumped into the lake. Peter had repeated the reaction of Adam and Eve when God came to them in Gen. 3:8. He had now realized his nakedness and sinfulness and having clothed himself would rise from the lake to be forgiven in the Eucharistic meal and then to face his divine election as the shepherd of all.

Second Part: Jesus invites his disciples to meal. Come and have breakfast, he said. Jesus had noticed that they had laboured heavily through the night, and had prepared a meal of bread and fish cooking on the fire for them (grace). They saw this when they came ashore, and Jesus still told them to bring some of the fish they had caught (human effort). The mission of the Church would be a combination of divine grace and human effort. He prepares a banquet for us, but it does not make us not to contribute when partaking of the meal. He invites us in the Eucharistic meal, as we make an offering as partakers of that communion. Jesus took the bread and gave it to them is a clear sign of the Eucharistic meal. He did same with the fish. Fish would become a secret but great sign for the persecuted Christians. The word for Fish in Greek was ICHTHYS which was made up of the first letters in Greek for Iesous Christos, Theou Yios, Soter (Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Saviour). Thus, the presence of fish in this story remains still a profession of Jesus as the Lord.

Third Part: Jesus appoints Peter as the shepherd of the lambs. Peter’s profile in the story corresponds to his pre-eminence in the Christian mission and Church. He was the one who entered the boat as the captain and pulled the net to the shore where Christ stood. He would be ready to pull the Church towards Christ by testifying to the risen Lord, abandon his will to the will of the master. However, the charcoal fire on the shore connects the story to the denial of Peter, which happened when he had gone to another charcoal fire to warm himself (cf. John 18:25). Three times, Peter denied Jesus. And now, in the daybreak of Easter, he would undo those denials in the healing effect of his three affirmations of his unique love for Jesus. These three affirmations would follow three special pastoral responsibility: feed my lambs, tend my sheep, and feed my lambs. Peter’s hurt about the repetition of the three questions of Jesus regarding his love for him leaves with Peter and us today the hurt Peter caused himself for his three-times denial of Jesus and the hurt we cause ourselves when we deny Jesus today. After indicating to Peter the suffering that would come with the love he professed, Jesus at the end told him: follow me. Peter would now become the perfect follower who would go in God’s name by fighting no longer with the material sword but with the sword of the spirit (love). He would become a formidable leader who would lead by allowing himself to be led by another and willing to die for his faith in Jesus as the Lord. An instance of this is seen in the First Reading (Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41) where Peter together with other disciples spoke without fear of any provocation to the Sanhedrin about the Lordship of Christ.

Have we not now discovered that this whole story is about the ever-presence of the risen Lord in the ministry and mission of the Church, in the Eucharistic meal and in the primacy of Peter as the head of the Church? It is indeed the Lord. May be, we need to tell ourselves one last and comprehensive message of this Sunday: when we have fallen back into the old ways, and have laboured through the darkness of the night, and the nets come in empty, then we need to peer through the mists with the courage that comes from the love of God. We must see the one who stands on the shore; the one who is interested in letting us experience abundance and rest; the one who would invite us for a meal; the one who would tell us to bring what we have; the one who would demand from us to love him as he has loved us by following him. That one is Jesus Christ, the son of God our Saviour. Worthy indeed is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength, honour and glory and blessing (cf. Second Reading Rev. 5:11-14). Yes, It is the Lord!!! Do have a lovely week ahead. God bless you.