On my own reading, I couldn't make heads or tails out of this passage. I read some commentary on BibleGateway.com and I think that helped a bit. Specifically;
1. In Greek, there were differences in the word for "love" in the 1st two times Jesus asks Peter, and the last time.
2. The commentary points out that he refers to him as "Simon" not "Peter"; almost sort of leading him in a Socratic way to take up the discipleship identity Jesus has prepared him for.
3. Unlike the parables, this passage doesn't pack as much self-contained context. There are questions formed and delivered in in a way that hearken specifically to Peter's denial.
And just in general, aspects of the entire chapter seem strange.
How come they don't recognize Jesus?
Why does Peter jump out of the boat? Seems like something that has nothing to do with anything.
Some people question why they were fishing in the first place, but that's not as much of a non-sequitur to me. The guy was a fisherman to begin with and, if you're hungry and that's what you know how to do, who's not gonna fish to fill their tummy?
As a general kind of comment, Peter is kind of a fascinating character. Kind of headstrong, brash, well-meaning, but maybe a little more naive than the rest? I think I like him...
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