I love Peter. I am thankful for both his good and bad examples. They give me hope. I think this little passage might be another example to learn from. In John 20 Peter and the disciples are locked up in a room hiding “for fear of the Jews.” Jesus comes in and breathes the Holy Spirit on them. Jesus says to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

Now we are here in John 21 and the disciples have come out of the locked room and Peter says, “I’m going fishing.” Really, Peter, really! Jesus has given you the Holy Spirit and sent you, just as the Father sent him…and it leads to fishing? I love how John notes that they caught no fish, all night.  I think John was highlighting that fishing wasn’t Peter’s calling anymore.  I think we are guilty of this same thing…Maybe we latch on to “Peace be with you” a little more than, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” Maybe we are trying to find peace in our comfort zones, but we find it frustrating because we come up empty. Maybe instead, peace and fulfillment come from the discomfort of following Christ. 

Jesus ends this episode with Peter by transitioning Peter from his old job as a fisherman to his true calling of a shepherd. Sure, he will have to learn a new skill set, but he will find fulfillment and peace in his true calling, not the old one that he thought would bring him peace and comfort.