Gospel in Art: Throw the net out to starboard and you'll find something

Christ at the Sea of Galilee, Circle of Jacopo Tintoretto, 1570's © National Gallery of Art, Washington

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 14 April 2023
John 21:1-14

Jesus showed himself again to the disciples. It was by the Sea of Tiberias, and it happened like this: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two more of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said, 'I'm going fishing.' They replied, 'We'll come with you.' They went out and got into the boat but caught nothing that night.

It was light by now and there stood Jesus on the shore, though the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus. Jesus called out, 'Have you caught anything, friends?' And when they answered, 'No', he said, 'Throw the net out to starboard and you'll find something.' So they dropped the net, and there were so many fish that they could not haul it in. The disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, 'It is the Lord.' At these words 'It is the Lord', Simon Peter, who had practically nothing on, wrapped his cloak round him and jumped into the water. The other disciples came on in the boat, towing the net and the fish; they were only about a hundred yards from land.

As soon as they came ashore they saw that there was some bread there, and a charcoal fire with fish cooking on it. Jesus said, 'Bring some of the fish you have just caught.' Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore, full of big fish, one hundred and fifty-three of them; and in spite of there being so many the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, 'Come and have breakfast.' None of the disciples was bold enough to ask, 'Who are you?'; they knew quite well it was the Lord. Jesus then stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish. This was the third time that Jesus showed himself to the disciples after rising from the dead.

Reflection on the painting

In our canvas painted by the circle of Jacopo Tintoretto we see the resurrected Christ depicted backlit by the rising sun on the shore of Lake Galilee. He is communicating from the shore to the disciples, seen fishing in their boat. As our Gospel reading tells us today, they had been fishing all night without success. Christ told them to cast their nets to the right side of the boat, where the catch would be plentiful. Peter, on seeing Christ, jumps into the water to swim to shore. From the left of our painting, daylight is coming in, beginning to brighten the waves and the sky.

That the disciples sent back to fishing after the resurrection tells us a lot about their mindset. Jesus had called them away from their profession some years earlier, and now that Jesus had died on the cross, there was nothing to do but go back to what they knew best. They were looking back, trying to return to their past. Jesus in our Gospel reading told them to do exactly the opposite: to look ahead and focus on the future!

The risen Lord lovingly redirected them. How? He simply invited them: ''Come and have breakfast'. He shared communion with them.

During these days after Easter we too are invited to cast our nets in maybe a different direction and to look ahead towards the mission we are called to for the rest of this year.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/john-21-1-14-2023/