Thomas was not with the disciples. Probably, he had not yet returned to them from the former diaspora. What does a remark mean - called a Gemini? This meaning of the name is Foma. For as Cephas means a stone, so Thomas means a twin. The Evangelist mentions this meaning of the name Thomas, by the way, in order to show us that he was somewhat distrustful and had such a disposition from birth, as the name itself shows. When the other disciples spoke of the Lord, Thomas did not believe, not because he considered them liars, but because he considered the work of the resurrection impossible. That is why he is accused of immoderate curiosity. For as soon as it is frivolous to believe, so much to persist is wild and rude. Look, he did not say, "I do not believe my eyes," but added, "Unless I put my hand in." But how did he know that there was a wound in his side? I heard this from the disciples. Why does the Lord appear to him not immediately, but after eight days? In order that heeding the instruction of his fellow disciples and hearing the same thing, he would be inflamed with a great desire and become a stronger believer for the future. The Lord, wishing to show that He was with them even when Thomas expressed the words of his unbelief before His fellow disciples, does not wait until He hears anything like this from him, but Himself Himself fulfills what Thomas desired, and uses his own words. And look, at first He says with reproach: "Give thy hand," but then He admonishes: "Do not be unbelieving, but believing." From this it is clear that the doubt arose from unbelief, and therefore it is in vain that some in defense of Thomas say that he did not quickly believe because of his solidity. For behold, the Lord calls him an unbeliever. See how he who did not believe at first became an excellent theologian by touching the rib. For he preached two natures and one person in one Christ. By saying, "Lord," he confessed human nature; for "Lord" is also used of people, for example: "Lord! if thou hast borne Him" (John 20:15). And by saying, "My God," he confessed a divine being, and thus confessed one and the same Lord and God. The Lord, showing us that faith consists in receiving the unseen, says: "Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." Here He alludes to the disciples who did not touch the nail wound or the rib, but believed, and not only them, but also those who would believe later. He said this not in order to deprive Thomas of bliss, but to console those who had not seen. For many say, Blessed are the eyes that have seen the Lord. He comforts them, saying that it is more blessed not to see and not to believe. - How was the incorruptible body found to have wounds and was palpable by the hand of man? All this was a matter of condescension. For the body, which entered through the locked doors, and therefore thin and light, was free from all coarseness. And in order to assure him of the resurrection, the Lord shows him so, and for this purpose He rose again, having the signs of the cross and wounds. Likewise, that He also ate, He did not eat out of need for the body, but for the assurance of the resurrection. Therefore, just as before the crucifixion, walking on the waves (Mark 6:48), He had a body of no other nature, so now He shows it tangible and having wounds. Yet, although it is tangible and visible, it is incorruptible. For this is shown for the sake of confirmation, and not according to necessity and the law of the body. For everything that is eaten enters into the womb and is changed (Matt. 15:17), which Christ did not have after the resurrection; but that which was eaten, which was received only for the assurance of the resurrection, was consumed by some invisible and divine power. Notice also how for one man – Thomas – the Lord did not refuse to descend and show a rib in order to save one unbelieving soul; In the same way, we should not despise either one or the smallest.

     Jesus did many other miracles before His disciples, which are not written in this book. And these things are written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing ye may have life in his name. 

What signs does the evangelist speak of here? Is it about those that the Lord did before His sufferings? No, but about those that He did after His resurrection. For the Evangelist adds: "He did before His disciples." The Lord performed miracles before His sufferings not before His disciples, but before all. For this reason the Evangelist now speaks of those miracles which were performed by the Lord after the Resurrection. For by dealing with the disciples alone for forty days, He presented proofs of the resurrection. Just as before His suffering He performed miracles in confirmation that He was the Son of God, so after His resurrection He performed miracles before His disciples in confirmation that He was the Son of Man, that is, He wore a body, although incorruptible and most God-like, and no longer subject to the laws of the flesh. And so, of the many miracles performed after the resurrection, only these are recorded, and this is not for boasting, or for the application of glory to the Only-begotten, but, he says, "that you may believe." And what is the benefit and to whom does it apply? Not to Christ. For what profit does our faith profit to Him? But it serves us. "And believing," he says, "they would have life in His name." For believing that He is risen and alive, we prepare our own life, for He is risen and alive for us. And whoever thinks that He is dead, and not resurrected and not alive, condemns and affirms death and destruction to himself.

Chapter Twenty-One

After this, Jesus again appeared to His disciples by the Sea of Tiberias. And he appeared thus: Simon Peter and Thomas, who is called the Twin, and Nathanael of Cana of Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, "I am going to fish." They said to him, "We are also going with you." They went and immediately entered the boat, and caught nothing that night. And when morning came, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, "Children! Do you have any food? They answered Him, No. And he said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and catch it." They threw in and could no longer pull out the nets from the multitude of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "This is the Lord." And when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girded himself with a garment (for he was naked), and threw himself into the sea. And the other disciples sailed in a boat (for they were not far from the land, about two hundred cubits), dragging a net with fish. 

With the words: "Jesus appeared," the Evangelist expresses the idea that if He had not willed and had not revealed Himself out of condescension, then with an incorruptible body He would not have been visible. Why did he mention the place of the Sea of Tiberias? In order to show that they no longer feared the Jews as much as before, but rejected great fear. They no longer sat shut themselves up, but went out of the house, which they had not dared to do before, and went about everywhere, so that they came to Tiberias, which is not a short distance from Jerusalem. This is a sea in Galilee. "The disciples fished because they had nothing else to do. Jesus himself was not constantly with them, the Spirit had not yet been given to them, and the teaching was not finally entrusted to them; wherefore they took up their former trade. Peter, being very active, cannot remain idle, but ardently strives for the cause, and the others follow him, because they were no longer separated from each other. - Appearing to them when they were toiling and weary, He does not immediately reveal Himself, but first wants to enter into conversation with them. As if wishing to buy something from them, he asks: "Children, do you have anything to eat?" And when they replied that they did not, and at His command, they cast their net on the right side of the boat and received their catch, then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "This is the Lord." Here again we find an indication of the peculiarities in the disciples: John was more perceptive, and Peter was more ardent. Therefore, John was the first to recognize the Lord, and Peter was the first to hasten to Him. By girding himself, Peter showed his respect for Jesus, and throwing himself into the sea, he showed his love. For he did not hold out like the others, but began to swim, although they were about two hundred cubits from the shore. "Ependitis" (Slavonic "ependit", Russian "clothes") is a garment made of linen, with which the Phoenician and Syrian fishermen gird themselves, either on the naked body, or over the clothes, simply to say how painters depict the apostles girded over their clothes. Since Peter was naked when he was fishing, he girded himself with an ependite out of respect (for this is meant girdle), and was the first to hasten to the Lord. This is not a small event, but it is important, because a lot of fish were caught, and then the net did not break.

     When they came to the ground, they saw a fire spread out and fish and bread lying on it. Jesus said to them, "Bring the fish that you have now caught." Simon Peter went and pulled out a net on the ground, filled with large fish, of which there were one hundred and fifty-three; And with such a multitude, the net did not break. Jesus said to them, "Come, dine." None of the disciples dared to ask Him, "Who art thou?" knowing that it is the Lord. Jesus comes, takes bread and gives them fish as well. This was the third time Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection from the dead. 

Coals, fish, and bread, which the disciples now see, also constitute a miracle. For He did not feed so many people with them from a ready-made substance, as before in the wilderness, with five loaves of bread (John 6:9-12) and two fishes, but simply, out of nothing. When the Lord said, "Come, dine," no one asks or dares to ask. They no longer had the courage they had before, but in silence and with fear they were amazed at Him; they knew that it was the Lord, so they did not ask. Seeing that His image had changed and was filled with amazing majesty, they were greatly amazed. At least they would have liked to ask about it, but the fear in the consciousness that it was no other than Him, kept them from asking, and they only ate what He had created for them. How did He create? With full power. For He no longer looks to heaven and does not call upon the Father, for this was then done out of condescension. He commands them to bring the fish they caught, in order to show that what they saw was not a ghost. It is not said here that He ate with them, but Luke says that He ate together (Luke 24:30, 43). How He ate we cannot explain, for it happened in an extraordinary way, not because His nature needed food, but it was a matter of condescension, to prove the resurrection. The Evangelist says: "This is the third time He has appeared," and by this He shows that He did not treat them constantly and not as before. "Understand this, perhaps, in a contemplative sense: when the darkness of idolatry prevailed; It was night then. The prophets who worked then, until the appearance of Christ the Sun, caught nothing. Though they seem to have one of the people of Israel in their net, yet as they often fell into idolatry, they may be said to have caught nothing. But when the Sun of righteousness has shone in the morning, and the apostolic snare has been spread, the doctrine which is truly right, in comparison with which the law and the prophets are represented as the left-hand side, then this net is pulled out, and not only the Gentiles, who may be called "a hundred," but also the Israelites, who may be understood by "fifty," are brought to Christ. For when the fullness of the Gentiles shall enter, then Israel also shall be saved (Rom. 11:25, 26). Three fish mean faith in the Holy Trinity. For the hundred and fifty, that is, the Gentiles and the Jews, are not caught without three, for without faith in the Trinity no one is called caught. The commandment: "Come, dine" serves as a hint that the saints receive peace, contentment and pleasure after their labors. For everything that was then done or said is full of mystery. For example, the fact that Mary considered Him to be a gardener is apparently simple, but there is also something hidden in it. For He was indeed the true worker of the garden, in the garden of the sepulchre, as in paradise, correcting the female race, and converting the first gardener, Adam, from deception and unbelief. For the conversion of Mary and the doctrine of the resurrection indicate that the feminine gender is converted and raised to perfection.