April 18 ,2010 • The Season of Easter • Alleluia!
Back to Work
When a loved one dies, it’s important that the members of the family get back to work soon after the funeral. Going back to a regular routine helps to balance the grieving, and it gets us through the empty days.
So I wonder if that’s why Peter tells the others in today’s gospel, “I’m going fishing.” Unlike the iconic sign on the store door “gone fishing” -- which means the proprietor has taken a break from work -- Peter’s announcement signifies that he’s going back to his old job of being a fisherman.
And, as had happened in the past, they caught nothing. Until a solitary figure on the shore tells them to cast their nets on the right side of the boat. And then they catch an overwhelming number of fish. Peter is helped to understand that it is the Lord on the shore, so he jumps into the water and goes to Jesus.
Jesus makes breakfast for the apostles on a charcoal fire and then tends to the unfinished business: the last time there was mention of a charcoal fire, Peter was in the high priest’s courtyard warming himself while Jesus was on trial. Peter had denied Jesus three times. At this post-resurrection charcoal fire, Jesus explores some things with Peter. “Peter, do you love me MORE than the others?” (In the past, Peter had said that he would be more faithful to Jesus than the other apostles.) Peter says, “Lord, you KNOW that I love you.” Jesus asks Peter if he loves him two more times -- thus giving Peter a chance to “reverse” his denials. By the third time, Peter “gets it.”
Jesus doesn’t just stop with this poignant reconciliation. He gives Peter new work orders. If Peter thought he could get through his grief at his denial of Jesus and Jesus’ death by immersing himself back in the fishing business, he was wrong. Jesus wants him to get back to work, but it’s a different kind of work: “Feed my lambs, tend my sheep.” Peter’s work is to go make more disciples and to care for them.
This raises the question for us: “What Easter job is Jesus asking US to do?” Once we know the answer to this, we can get back to work.
