John 21:18Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Therefore Christ arranged it according to his desire. What then does “where you do not wish” mean? Here Christ speaks of the property of nature, of the necessary law of the flesh, that the soul is reluctant to be released from the body. Thus, even when the intention is firm, nature still reveals itself. No one parts from the body without suffering. As I said before, God arranged this for our benefit, so that violent deaths would be few. For even with this, the devil succeeds in urging men to suicide and drives very many to cliffs and precipices. If the soul did not have such love for the body, many would immediately rush to this even from the slightest sorrow. Thus the words “where you do not wish” signify natural love. Why does Christ say, “when you were young,” and then, “when you are old”? By this He shows that Peter was then no longer young, as is true, but neither was he old. He was in mature age. Why then did He remind him of his former life? To show that His works are of this kind. In worldly affairs a young man is useful, while an aged man is useless. But in My affairs, He says, it is not so. On the contrary, when old age comes, valor is more radiant and courage more glorious, with age placing no obstacle. He said this not to frighten him, but to encourage him. For He knew his desire, and He knew that he had long fervently yearned for this good. At the same time Christ also indicates here the manner of his death. Since Peter always wished to be in danger for Him, He says, “Be at peace. I will fulfill your desire. What you did not suffer in youth, you will suffer in old age.”

He reminds him of his former life to show that the spiritual and the fleshly stand in inverse relation. In worldly affairs the young man is useful, while the aged man is useless. In spiritual affairs, on the contrary, the contest is more radiant when old age comes. He says this to stir up Peter’s love and kindle him toward martyrdom. He also hints to him that he too will be crucified. For the words “you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you” indicate nothing other than being stretched out on the cross and bound. By the words “when you were young,” and again “when you are old,” He shows that Peter was then neither young nor old, but a mature man. Why did the Lord say to him, “another will gird you and lead you where you do not wish”? Although Peter desired martyrdom, and desired it fervently, the Lord’s words point to the sympathy of our nature for life. They show that the soul is reluctant to be separated from the body. For God arranged this, and arranged it for our benefit, so that we would not kill ourselves. Therefore no one, even if he is holy, lays aside the body without suffering.

Thus Christ foretold that blessed Peter would be led to a place of death contrary and hateful to him. But he would not have attained such glory, nor would he have been crucified for Christ, had he not been accused because of his care for the spiritual sheep. Having strength rooted in love for Christ, he called to the faith those who had been caught in the deceit of the devil’s delusions. Those who dared to do this put blessed Peter to death. They could not attribute to him any other guilt except piety toward Christ alone. Thus from this also one may see that our Lord Jesus Christ beneficially and necessarily foretold Peter’s death. Through the sufferings awaiting him, He would in a certain way seal and show the truth of his words: “Yes, Lord, You know that I love You” (Jn 21:16). For to die for the sake of preaching, is this not a clear and irrefutable proof that he in no way lacked perfect love for Christ?

Then He announced to him the martyrdom that awaited him, which Peter had missed the first time because he was too hasty. "When you are old," He said, "you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish."

He said this to signify by what death Peter would glorify God. And so it came to pass that Peter accepted martyrdom, washing away his denial with tears. What the Savior had promised him, the tempter could not annul.

"You will stretch out your hands" means, "You will be crucified." But in order for you to come to this, another will gird you and lead you, not where you wish, but where you do not wish.

First He said what would happen, and then how it would happen. For Peter was not led where he did not wish as one already crucified, but as one about to be crucified. Once crucified, he went not where he did not wish, but rather where he wished.

Indeed, having departed from the body, he wished to be with Christ. Yet if it had been possible, he would have preferred to obtain eternal life without a painful death.

He did not wish to be led to that painful death, desiring instead to be led away from it. He came to it unwillingly, but overcame it willingly. He left behind that feeling of weakness by which no one wishes to die.

This feeling is so natural that even old age could not free blessed Peter from it. To him it was said, "When you are old, they will lead you where you do not wish."

To comfort us, the Savior Himself expressed this feeling in Himself, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me" (Mt 26:39).

Yet He had, in any case, come to die. Death was not a necessity for Him, but belonged to His will. It was in His power to lay down His soul, and in His power to take it up again (cf. Jn 10:18).

However great the weight of death may have been, the power of love had to overcome it. By this love, He who is our Life willed to endure death for our sake.

For if there were no burden at all in death, not even the smallest, the glory of the martyrs would not be so great.

But if the Good Shepherd, who laid down His soul for His sheep (cf. Jn 10:11), made so many martyrs for Himself from these sheep, then how much more resolutely must those fight for the truth unto death, and against sin even to blood, to whom He entrusted the feeding, teaching, and governing of the sheep themselves?

Therefore, from the example of His Passion set before us, who does not see that shepherds must follow the Shepherd still more, imitating Him? This is all the more true since many sheep also imitate Him.

There is only one Shepherd in one flock, and in it the shepherds themselves are sheep. Certainly He made all those His sheep for whom He suffered. For He Himself, in order to suffer for all, became a sheep.

For “the flesh lusts against the spirit” (Gal 5:17) and finds crooked paths for itself, along which it walks wherever it wishes. But the good old age of the spirit chooses not what is pleasing to the body, but what is useful to the mind. It does not let itself be seized by the arbitrariness of desire, but restrains itself with a curbing bridle against bodily desire.

God arranged this wisely for our benefit, so that in misfortunes people would not deprive themselves of life, as has already been said. Even now, when our soul suffers greatly at separation from the body, the enemy often inclines us to suicide. If this were not so, many would certainly resort to suicide still more quickly.

In particular, it refers to Peter’s fulfillment of the duties of his apostleship in planting and spreading Christianity. “You will stretch out your hands”: you will lower your hands in weakness, like an aged man who has grown feeble. You will not be able to defend yourself with your hands from the violent actions of others. Another, an enemy, will gird you. He will bind you as with a belt, deprive you of the possibility of acting freely, and violently cut short your activity. “Where you do not wish”: this does not mean that Peter will not wish to accept a martyr’s death for Christ. It is only a general expression of the thought of violent death.

The Lord Himself, as man, in His human soul, was distressed and sorrowful before His sufferings (Mt 26:37). Therefore the fear, distress, and sorrow of a man are not counted as guilt in a martyr, if he gives himself wholly to the will of God. The greatness of the martyrs lay in this, that their love for God, their faith, and their hope of immortality were stronger in them than the terror of death. Therefore the spiritual man in them conquered the bodily man, and for this received the crown of immortality. So also Peter now rose by the power of grace above the former Peter who had denied. He accepts the portion appointed to him by the Lord with complete obedience and calm. In the following verses, with the same calm, he asks about the future of John, whom he especially loved. Therefore the Lord, knowing Peter’s moral maturity, concludes His words to him with the significant call: “Follow Me.” In these words there is a blessing upon Peter for the field of preaching and teaching. There is also his final summons to fulfill all that had been commanded him, and to the death “by which Peter would glorify God.” “Afterward you shall follow Me,” the Lord had said at the supper (Jn 13:36).