Historical Cultural Context
Competition Among Disciples
Peter’s threefold affirmative reply to Jesus’ thrice-repeated question, “Simon Son of John, do you love me more than these?” (Jn 21:15, 16, 17) is correctly seen as Peter’s atonement for his triple denial of Jesus (Jn 18:15-18, 25-27). But it is more than that.
In the ancient and contemporary Middle East leaders gather followers and form factions for the purpose of gaining some advantage over others. Those who follow a leader know and understand full well what the leader is after. They join the leader because they believe that in unity there is strength, that this group together can achieve more and achieve it more effectively than any individual might do alone. Each group member is strongly bonded with the leader.
In contrast, group members have weak bonds to each other. It is no surprise that James and John, the sons of Zebedee, ask for the two highest places when Jesus comes into his glory (Mk 10:35-37), and that the other ten become angry because these two beat them to the punch (Mk 10:41). Even at the Last Supper they all dispute among themselves about status and honor and “which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest” (Lk 22:24).
In John’s Gospel the Beloved Disciple stands out rather clearly as particularly favored by Jesus. He reclines next to Jesus at the table (Jn 13:23) and obtains privileged information from him about the betrayer (Jn 13:25-26). Even Peter doesn’t have such information and has to use the Beloved Disciple as an intermediary to get to Jesus (Jn 13:24).
If we remember the contrast of the noble shepherd and the hireling from John 10, we see that being Peter is portrayed by the evangelist as a hireling. He lacks knowledge of the traitor; he needs the Beloved Disciple to gain entrance to the high priest’s court. In abandoning Jesus he behaves like a hireling rather than a disciple. He denies Jesus, and even after the resurrection, he runs slower than the Beloved Disciple, sees but does not say anything (Jn 20:4-9).
The episode in which Peter three times affirms his love for Jesus is a turning point in the Gospel, even though scholars recognize this chapter (Jn 21) as an “appendix” produced not by the evangelist but by his circle of followers. In this episode Peter is explicitly acclaimed by Jesus to be the shepherd of the flock. Peter firmly professes his loyalty to the Lord (Jn 21:17). And the Beloved Disciple bows out of the picture in the next few verses (Jn 21:20-23) without saying another word.
Insights from Mediterranean culture highlight how untidy and confusing the early circle of believers really was. Competition was rife; this was culturally normal. But no matter how intently others jockeyed for position, or how well the Beloved Disciple played the role of noble shepherd, it is Jesus the leader who makes the final decision: Peter is appointed noble shepherd.
John J. Pilch
**From Saint Louis University