The Beloved Disciple legacy

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary for the Feast of Saint John, Apostle and evangelist, are an opportunity to appreciate the struggle between literalism and symbolic language in the fourth Gospel.

December 27th marks the feast of Saint John, the Beloved Disciple: Apostle, Evangelist, Son of Thunder, and patron saint of loyalty and friendship. pic.twitter.com/6I8fqHpTuY

— Tradical (@NoTrueScotist) December 27, 2017

The author of the First Letter of John testifies to the apostles’ witness to the incarnation of life.

[1:1–4] There is a striking parallel to the prologue of the gospel of John (Jn 1:1–18), but the emphasis here is not on the preexistent Word but rather on the apostles’ witness to the incarnation of life by their experience of the historical Jesus.

The introduction to this letter by the USCCB place it more akin to a theological treatise than to most other New Testament letters.

These features, its prologue, and its emphasis on doctrinal teaching make it more akin to a theological treatise than to most other New Testament letters.

The episode from the Gospel of John provides evidence of Jesus Resurrection for the Beloved Disciple.

[20:6–8] Some special feature about the state of the burial cloths caused the beloved disciple to believe. Perhaps the details emphasized that the grave had not been robbed.

Peter Edmonds SJ writes of the story, theology and drama in the Gospel of John.

It took time before this gospel was accepted in early Christianity. It was regarded as a dangerous gospel, to be handled with care, because it carried two main risks. It could lead to a neglect of the humanity of Christ, as if the divine Jesus was only pretending to be human. This is known as the heresy of Docetism. It could also lead disciples to claim they could not sin, because they have already undergone judgement in their encounters with the Christ whose glory they have seen. This is known as Gnosticism. These issues are addressed in the Letters of John, which are probably to be dated after the gospel. This writer ‘declared to you what we have seen and heard’ (1 John 1:3) and warned that ‘if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves’ (1 John 1:8).

Vexen Crabtree asked Who Were the First Christians? In his exploration of Gnosticism and Docetism in early Christianity.

The Collect Prayer for the Feast of St. John, apostle and evangelist, asks that we may grasp with proper understanding what he has so marvelously brought to our ears.

O God, who through the blessed Apostle John have unlocked for us the secrets of your Word, grant, we pray, that we may grasp with proper understanding what he has so marvelously brought to our ears. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Don Schwager quotes Severus of Antioch (488-538 AD) on the humanity and divinity of Jesus.

"Given that this same John also said, 'No one has ever seen God' (John 1:18, 1 John 1:4:12), how can he assure us that the living Word of Life has been seen and touched? It is clear that it was in his incarnate and human form that he was visible and touchable. What was not true of him by nature became true of him in that way, for he is one and the same indivisible Word, both visible and invisible, and without diminishing in either respect he became touchable in both his divine-human nature. For he worked his miracles in his divinity and suffered for us in his humanity." (excerpt from CATENA)

Friar Jude discusses how the theology of John is overruled by the Love in this Gospel. Love yields to authority in his exegesis of the passage in today’s Gospel.

Tamora Whitney also connects the experience of the Incarnation and the Resurrection for believers.

I think it’s good to think about Easter at Christmas. The birth we celebrate now is important because this birth leads to the end of death. Jesus had to be born so he could grow up to die on the cross. And he had to come back from death to give us all everlasting life. In the Gospel today Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved went to the tomb. The tomb was empty and the burial cloths were there. The disciple saw the empty tomb and believed. We have seen the baby in the manger. In the spring we will see his death on the cross, and like the disciples will see the empty tomb. And we believe.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, quotes the work of Diana Butler Bass and concludes that the toothpaste is out of the tube in a great turning for the Church.

The toothpaste is out of the tube. There are enough people who know the big picture of Jesus’ thrilling and alluring vision of the reign of God that this Great Turning cannot be stopped. There are enough people going on solid inner journeys that it is not merely ideological or theoretical. This reformation is happening in a positive, nonviolent way. The changes are not just from the top down, but much more from the bottom up. Not from the outside in, but from the inside out. Not from clergy to laity, but from a unified field where class is of minor importance. The big questions are being answered at a peaceful and foundational level, with no need to oppose, deny, or reject. I sense the urgency of the Holy Spirit, with over seven billion humans now on the planet. There is so much to love and embrace.

References

(n.d.). 1 John, chapter 1 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved December 27, 2017, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/1john/1

(n.d.). 1 John — introduction - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved December 27, 2017, from http://usccb.org/bible/scripture.cfm?bk=70&ch=&v=

(n.d.). John, chapter 20 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved December 27, 2017, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/john/20:9

(2014, March 21). Story, theology and drama in the Gospel of John | Thinking Faith: The .... Retrieved December 27, 2017, from http://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/story-theology-and-drama-gospel-john

(2017, December 26). Feast of St. John, apostle and evangelist - December 27, 2017 .... Retrieved December 27, 2017, from https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2017-12-27

(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 27, 2017, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/

(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved December 27, 2017, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html

(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 27, 2017, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/