Not long after the resurrection, Peter and six fellow disciples, still not comprehending Christ Jesus' great victory over death, returned to their trade as fishermen. Toiling all night, "they caught nothing." But when instructed by Jesus (whom they didn't recognize at first) to "cast the net on the right side... they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes." With the exactness of a good tradesman, the writer specifies the total catch—153 fish. See John 21:1-11 .
I've sometimes wondered which of those seven disciples took time to tally the fish and why he or they did so. Was it merely habit? Or was it sheer wonder at this proof of Spirit's infinite supply? John's Gospel doesn't tell us. But isn't there a significant lesson here? One or more of those present focused on the quantity of the fish, when there was something far greater before them: undeniable evidence of the indestructibility of life—Christ Jesus was alive and in their midst.
In considering where our own attention is focused, it's helpful to understand the distinction made in Christian Science between Jesus and the Christ. Elucidating this distinction, Mrs. Eddy writes in Science and Health, "Jesus demonstrated Christ; he proved that Christ is the divine idea of God—the Holy Ghost, or Comforter, revealing the divine Principle, Love, and leading into all truth." Science and Health, p. 332. In the last chapter of John's Gospel, we can find two important factors needed to understand and demonstrate this "divine idea of God" ourselves: (1) a spiritual affection for the Christ, rather than mere emotional devotion to Jesus, and (2) an unwavering commitment to Christ-healing and to preaching Truth to a world hungering for spiritual nourishment.
