Christ has Risen (Thought for Today)

Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; he was the one who had reclined next to Jesus at the supper and had said,

“Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!” So the rumor spread among the brothers and sisters that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. But there are also many other things that Jesus did; if every one of them were written down, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

Reflection

• As we come to the end of the Easter Season we have the final part of John’s Gospel. Peter seemed to be in competition with the disciple Jesus loved, asking, What about him?’ Jesus brought attention back to Peter and his call to follow. May we seek to strengthen our own relationship with the Lord and not compare ourselves to others.

• The author acknowledged the limits of what he could write about Jesus. It was much more than could ever be completely written down. Lord, you invite us to write the next chapter in the Gospel story and thus contribute our part in building up the Kingdom of God, as ushered in by your Son, Jesus Christ.