Son of Jonah

Introducing the Gospel reading from John 21 this morning, Chris Schlect pointed out that Jesus instructs Peter to take up the commission of Israel. Israel was supposed to be light to the nations, but refused; Jesus tells Peter to do what Israel failed to do.

That fits with a couple of other things. First, Peter, of course denies Jesus three times in an earlier chapter of John; so do the Jews (18:30; 18:39-40; 19:15). Peter is a representative Jew, but also representative of the “resurrected” Israel commissioned to feed lambs and sheep. Second, three times Jesus calls Peter “son of Jonah” (21:15, 16, 17). Peter has just plunged into the water from a boat (21:7), and he comes dripping to shore like his “father” Jonah. Jonah is not only his literal father but his spiritual father: Like Jonah, Peter the son of Jonah first joins Israel in denying Jesus and Israel’s own calling, and then takes up that task.