ACC ~ John 21 v7

THE DIFFERENT RESPONSES OF PETER AND JOHN

CHRYSOSTOM: When they recognized him, the disciples Peter and John again exhibited their different temperaments. The one was more fervent, the other more contemplative. The one was ready to go, the other more penetrating. John is the one who first recognized Jesus, but Peter is the first to come to him. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 87.2. [1]

[1] NPNF 1 14:329*.

THE DISCIPLES KNEW HE WAS BOTH GOD AND MAN

JEROME: After his resurrection, Jesus was standing on the shore; his disciples were in the ship. When the others did not know him, the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” For virginity is the first to recognize a virgin body. Jesus was the same as he was before, yet he was not seen alike by all as the same. And immediately it is added, “And no one dared ask him, ‘Who are you?’ for they knew that he was the Lord.” No one dared because they knew that he was God. They ate with him at dinner because they saw he was a man and had flesh. It was not that he was one person as God, another as man: but, being one and the same Son of God, he was known as man, adored as God. AGAINST JOHN OF JERUSALEM 35. [1]

[1] NPNF 2 6:443**.

PETER DIVES FOR THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE

EPHREM THE SYRIAN. Men stripped their clothes off and dived and drew you out, pearl! It was not kings that put you before people, but those naked ones who were a type of the poor and the fishers and the Galileans. For clothed bodies were not able to come to you. [1] They came that were stripped as children. They plunged their bodies and came down to you. And you much desired them, and you helped them who thus loved you. They gave you good news: their tongues before their hearts did the poor [fishermen] open and produced and showed the new riches among the merchants. On the wrists of people they put you as a medicine of life. The naked ones in a type saw your rising again by the seashore. And by the side of the lake, they, the apostles [2] of a truth, saw the rising again of the Son of your Creator. By you and by your Lord the sea and the lake were beautified. The diver came up from the sea and put on his clothing. And from the lake too Simon Peter came up swimming and put on his coat; clothed as with coats, with the love of both of you, were these two. THE PEARL, HYMN 5.3-4. [3]

[1] Ephrem perhaps is referring to those clothed in sin who are plunged into the waters of baptism, which he here parallels to Peter’s plunge into the water to find the pearl of great price—Christ.

[2] The same word in Syriac means “naked” and “apostle.”

[3] NPNF 2 13:297-98*.