13. Question I. But it is asked here first: since the lake of Gennesaret is fresh water and small even in comparison to the sea, why does the Evangelist call it a sea?
It must be said that he does this according to the custom of the Jews, who call a great gathering of waters a sea, according to that passage in Genesis 1: And the gatherings of the waters he called seas.
14. Question II. Likewise, since it is written in Luke 9: No one putting his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God: what is it that Peter, who had left his nets, returns again to fishing?
Gregory responds that "an occupation which existed before conversion without sin, to resume this after conversion was not a fault." Hence Augustine: "It must be understood that the disciples were not prohibited from seeking necessary sustenance by their lawful and permitted trade, if they had nothing else from which to live."
15. Question III. Likewise it is asked concerning what it says: Jesus stood on the shore: Gregory asks, since the Lord "before his passion walked upon the waves of the sea in the sight of his disciples, above in chapter 6: what is it that after his resurrection he stood on the shore while his disciples labored on the sea"?
Gregory responds: "By the sea the present age is signified, by the solidity of the shore the perpetuity of eternal rest. Because therefore our Redeemer had already passed beyond the corruption of the flesh, after his resurrection he stood on the shore."
16. Question IV. Likewise, since the Lord before the passion commanded the net to be cast into the sea, in Luke chapter five, not specifying a side: what is it that after the resurrection he commands it to be cast on the right side of the boat ?
Gregory responds: "That fishing, in which it is not specifically commanded on which side the net should be cast, designated the present Church, which gathers the good together with the wicked. But this fishing was cast on the right side alone, because only the Church of the elect attains to seeing the glory of his brightness, which will have nothing of sinister work."
17. Question V. Likewise it is asked: what is it that John here instructs Peter, when he says to Peter: It is the Lord? Did not Peter know the Lord as well as John?
Chrysostom responds that "Peter was more fervent, but John was more excellent and more keen of mind: therefore he recognized him more quickly, but did not run more quickly." — Or the reason could have been that Peter was more occupied in fishing, etc.
18. When therefore they came down to the land. Having thus manifested the majesty of the Divinity through the wondrous catching of fish, he here manifests the truth of humanity through eating; and in this indeed he proceeds in this order. First is noted the Lord's providence in preparing food; second, his kindness in inviting; third, the disciples' illumination in recognizing; fourth, the Lord's munificence in distributing food.
19. (Verse 9). His providence , therefore, in preparing food is indicated in the preparation of the foods, which was done by miracle; whence he says: When therefore they came down to the land, they saw a coal fire laid and fish placed upon it and bread, and so the meal to which he was inviting them was prepared: Matthew chapter twenty-two: "Behold, I have prepared my dinner, and all things are ready." And these things indeed were done by miracle; whence Chrysostom says: "He no longer works from pre-existing matter, as before the cross, but performs signs more wondrously, showing that what he then did from pre-existing matter, he did according to a certain dispensation." He means to say that that fish was made from nothing. Nor did he only prepare it by miracle, but the preparation was also done through Peter's ministry at the divine command; whence there follows:
20. (Verse 10). Jesus says to them: Bring some of the fish that you have caught just now, so that the truth might be confirmed by miracle.
21. (Vers. 11.). Then Simon Peter went up, as the more zealous among the others, and drew the net to land, full of great fish, one hundred and fifty-three: in which the greatness of the miracle is shown both in number and in size. By great fish we understand the Blessed, who are great in charity: Matthew eleven: "He who is lesser in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." And for greater expression of the miracle he adds what happened concerning the net: whence he says: And although there were so many, the net was not torn: against which it is said in Luke five: "They had caught a great multitude of fish, and their net was breaking." And so, although there were so many, namely in number and in size, they were in such a number on account of its significance: either because that number signifies perfection, when the numerical proportion is considered, or because it signifies universality, because, as Jerome says, "so many kinds of fish in the sea are read to have been described by the philosophers."
22. (Vers. 12.). Jesus says to them. Here the second point is noted, namely the Lord's kindness in inviting the disciples to eat; therefore he says: Jesus says to them: Come, dine: he invites to dinner, but in the future resurrection he will invite to the supper, according to that passage in Revelation nineteen: "Blessed are they who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb." He now invites to bodily food, to intimate that he invites to spiritual food; Song of Songs five: "Eat, O friends, and drink; and be inebriated, dearly beloved": and Isaiah fifty-five: "All you who thirst, come to the waters, and you who have no money, make haste, buy and eat; come, buy without money and without any exchange, wine and milk."
23. And none of those reclining at table. Here the third point is noted, namely the illumination of the disciples in knowing the Lord; whence he says: And none of those reclining at table, that is, of those sitting down to eat, dared to ask him : Who are you ? Whence Chrysostom: "They sat with silence and great reverence, gazing upon him." Knowing that it is the Lord, that is, for this reason they did not ask him: Who are you? Hebrews, the penultimate chapter: "Let us serve, pleasing God with fear and reverence"; Philippians two: "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling."
24. (Vers. 13.). And Jesus came. Here the fourth point is noted, namely the Lord's munificence in distributing food: whence he says: And he took bread and gave it to them, and fish likewise, he gave to them to eat. And similarly it is to be understood that he himself ate with them; whence Chrysostom: "Here indeed he does not say that he ate with them; Luke elsewhere says, Luke, the last chapter: When he had eaten before them, taking the remains, he gave to them"; whence Gregory says: "The Lord ate roasted fish and bread." Christ gave, in which he signified himself as the most generous distributor of all graces: Matthew twenty-five: "To each one he gave according to his own ability."
25. (Vers. 14.). This now the third time. After the manifestation has been set forth, there is set forth the comparison of this manifestation with the preceding ones; and it is counted as the third along with the preceding ones, not because there were not more, but because it suffices to write these three for the sake of believing, according to that passage in Deuteronomy nineteen: "In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word stand." Therefore he says: This is now the third time that Jesus manifested himself to his disciples, after he had risen from the dead, as though it were sufficient to have recounted a threefold manifestation: Acts ten: "He gave him to be made manifest, not to all the people, but to witnesses foreordained by God, to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead."
QUESTIONS.
26. Question I. But it is asked here first concerning what he says: Although there were so many, the net was not torn. — Since in the first fishing, Luke five, it is said that the net was breaking on account of the abundant multitude of fish, what is it that now it remains intact?
Gregory responds: "In the other fishing the net is torn on account of the multitude of fish, because now the reprobate enter into the confession of the faith together with the elect, who rend the Church itself with heresies. But in this fishing the net is not torn, because the holy Church of the elect, resting in continual peace, is torn by no dissensions."
27. Question II. Likewise it is asked concerning this, that the Lord ate fish and bread, as is said in the last chapter of Luke: since this belongs only to an animal body, therefore either Christ had an animal body, or he ate phantastically.
I respond: It must be said that there is eating from necessity, and this belongs only to the animal body; and there is eating from power, and this belongs not only to the animal body but also to the glorified and spiritual body, which eats purely from power. For from glorified bodies the power is not taken away, but the necessity.
28. Question III. Likewise it is asked: what happened to that food? For since a glorified body would not be nourished, it seems that it would have the customary egress of nature.
I respond: It must be said that just as water cast into fire is immediately absorbed by the fire, so food received by a glorified body is immediately consumed by a certain spiritual power. Whence Augustine in the book On the Resolution of Six Questions: "In one way the thirsting earth absorbs water, in another way the burning ray of the sun: the former by indigence, the latter by power. Therefore the body of the future resurrection would be of imperfect happiness if it should need foods; it will be of imperfect happiness if it cannot take foods." And the reason for this is that in the first case it would be needy, in the second case powerless.