I was finishing up a Bible study in the Gospel of John last night and while reading the last chapter (21) I was gripped by the idea that Jesus was quite unrecognizable to his followers after he was resurected. His disciples would see him and not react, but then when Jesus spoke or when Jesus did something they would suddenly realize who he was. Isn’t this interesting, as if he was relating to them in a whole new way. Almost as if to say that we used to trust in the temporal thing of familiarity but now we must rely on the more effective and more “real” spiritual realm. John 21 is a chapter where a handful of disciples have this surreal meeting with Jesus. It seems to me that the disciples had started to slip back into the lives that they lived before meeting Jesus for the first time, spending all night on the lake and catching no fish. Then Jesus calls to them much like he did in the beginning. In fact many of the events that occur in this section are strangely similar to events that happen earlier. Jesus gives them successful fishing tips, feeds them mysteriously and Peter tries to walk on water. He is bringing them back, reminding them that it is all real. Sitting by the fire after eating fish Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me more than this”? There is a lot of talk about what Jesus meant, and I guess there are as many different answers as there are different people, but for me he is saying, “Do you love me more than familiar, temporal comfort?” You see there isn’t much better than sitting by a campfire eating fresh kill with your friends. I am the one who must eternally answer, “You know everything and you know that I love you, you know that there is more than meets the eye.”
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