The final chapter of John is admittedly a little strange. Chapter 20 seems to provide the climax and the finality the story needs, and chapter 21's focus on Peter feels almost too particular. There is a certain awkwardness to ending this way. (For a variety of reasons, many scholars doubt that ch. 21 is original to John, but that is not my concern. In dealing with the whole as we have it in canonical form, I merely want to note the nature of the composition.) How does the chapter fit?

A gritty realism is manifest in the return to Peter's unresolved issues after the commission of 20.21, the realization of 20:28, and the formulaic conclusion of 20:31. Coming off the high of the resurrection, Peter seems to regress. In this, he may be as iconic as ever. We don't know his motives for deciding to go fishing, whether simple pragmatism (money or food), some darker reason (disorientation or despair), or something else altogether, but the ensuing scenes certainly point to his need for something more to get things on track. Moreover, all along the way there have been hints that John is making an effort to supplement or spring from known accounts of the story (i.e., the other Gospels), and this is one of the clearest instances. If we compare Luke's fishing story (Lk. 5.1-11), it is evident that Peter's vocation is at issue. The disciples were commissioned in 20.21, but Peter is struggling more fundamentally with his initial calling. His triple denial is still wreaking havoc on his psyche. It is wonderful to note, however, that at least some of the others were sticking with him. The simple exchange in 21.3 is more than terrible scripting for a felt-board reenactment. "We will go with you," for all its simplicity, can be read as a very powerful statement of solidarity.

It is the recapitulation of the initial call, miraculous catch and all, that sends Peter overboard with abandon. Jesus will yet make him a fisher of men. But this is not a "reinstatement;" it is much more personal than that. The meal with the disciples sets the tone. This is fellowship. This is them with him around a cook-fire, as they had undoubtedly been so many times before. But something lingers in the air. Peter, the one who had gone all in, buckled when things got dicey. Will Jesus really send him--or any of them, for that matter--as God sent Jesus? After all, Jesus, the good shepherd, did actually lay down his life when the wolves came (10.11-18). Peter proved a coward. Not once but three times he denied Jesus to save his skin. And so not once but three times Jesus asks him the critical question: Do you love me? It is painful, but it is necessary to set Peter free for his vocation to be a good shepherd. Forgiveness is not the problem. Peter's weakness is not the problem. The problem is simply his unwillingness to accept that, despite himself, he still has a calling to fulfill, which love of Jesus must compel. Feed my sheep! Follow me! This side of the resurrection, we often need to hear the call again.

I've just discovered Mumford & Sons. Instant fan. Here are the lyrics to "The Cave":

It's empty in the valley of your heart
The sun, it rises slowly as you walk
Away from all the fears
And all the faults you've left behind

The harvest left no food for you to eat
You cannibal, you meat-eater, you see
But I have seen the same
I know the shame in your defeat

But I will hold on hope
And I won't let you choke
On the noose around your neck

And I'll find strength in pain
And I will change my ways
I'll know my name as it's called again

Cause I have other things to fill my time
You take what is yours and I'll take mine
Now let me at the truth
Which will refresh my broken mind

So tie me to a post and block my ears
I can see widows and orphans through my tears
I know my call despite my faults
And despite my growing fears

But I will hold on hope
And I won't let you choke
On the noose around your neck

And I'll find strength in pain
And I will change my ways
I'll know my name as it's called again

So come out of your cave walking on your hands
And see the world hanging upside down
You can understand dependence
When you know the maker's land

So make your siren's call
And sing all you want
I will not hear what you have to say

Cause I need freedom now
And I need to know how
To live my life as it's meant to be

And I will hold on hope
And I won't let you choke
On the noose around your neck

And I'll find strength in pain
And I will change my ways
I'll know my name as it's called again

Fair warning to those who look them up: their most popular song employs the F-bomb.