Texts: Acts 9:1-6; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19
As we continue through the Easter season reflecting on the Resurrection, we're offered three visions this morning, one from the Gospel of John, one from the Book of Revelation, and one from the Book of Acts. And here's today's question: which one of those is the most convincing?
Let's start at the bottom. For my money this last chapter of the Gospel of John is not only the least convincing of this gospel, it is the least convincing of any of the gospels. It looks like what it undoubtedly is – an add-on. Now it happens that I recently read an article about the advantages and disadvantages of adding to your existing home, compared with selling it and building a new one. The writer said when we are thinking of an extension of our present home, there are two things to aim for. First, and most obviously, the extension must be well built. But secondly, and equally importantly, it mustn't look like an add-on. It must look as though it had always been part of the original design.
This chapter of St John's Gospel meets the first criterion – it is well constructed, even though it uses a strange mixture of re-cycled and new materials – but it fails miserably to meet the second. It looks like the add-on it is. Chapter 20 ended with these words: Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
That was clearly the end of the gospel – the backdoor, as it were. It should have been removed if the house was to be extended in that direction, but it wasn't. Another sizeable chapter was added with another backdoor included. It looks remarkably similar to that first backdoor: Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would have been written."
Then there's the problem of John, son of Zebedee. Nowhere in St John's Gospel is this man mentioned – giving rise to the supposition that when we get references to "the disciple whom Jesus loved" we are to understand that this is John, son of Zebedee. But when we get to this add-on we find a reference to the sons of Zebedee and to the disciple whom Jesus loved. Bad look.
But most awkward is the obvious break in the narrative flow between chapters 20 and 21. Chapter 20 is all about the Risen Christ returning to his disciples in Jerusalem, forgiving them, blessing them, empowering them with the Holy Spirit, and sending them into the world. There is a feeling of completion and renewal. They are now equipped to be apostles, to preach the Gospel of the Risen Christ to the world.
So what happens next? Well, according to this add-on, Peter decides to go fishing, and the others decide to join him. They have gone back to Galilee, where they had abandoned their families and their boats, and yet here they are fishing all night from a boat. And here's where the story starts to sound rather familiar. They fished all night but didn't catch anything. However, when what they thought was a complete stranger called out to them to cast their net again, they did so and caught an amazing number of large fish. We don't have to be too cynical to suspect a little plagiarism here: this is surely a re-working of the story St Luke tells (Luke 5:1-11) in connection with the calling of the first disciples. This part of the add-on is made out of re-cycled material
Then comes the new bit, the so-called re-instatement of Peter, and we begin to realise what this extra chapter is really about. It's about a peace deal between John's community, whose hero was the disciple whom Jesus loved, and the rest of the infant Church, who had accepted Peter as the leader. Look back through the Gospel and you will find about 6 episodes in which Peter and the Beloved Disciple both appear, and in each case the comparison favours the latter.
What seems to be happening here is discovering a way for the community of John to accept Peter, not because of any office Peter might hold, but because it is now established that Peter meets the only real criterion for Christian leadership – love of the Lord. In other words, this chapter is not really about proving the reality of the Resurrection – that was already done and done superbly in chapter 20. This is about Church history and Church politics.
So this morning the bronze medal goes to the gospel reading. Second place and first runner-up goes to the Book of Revelation. It's not, of course, a direct reference to the Resurrection, but it can be described as the logical outcome of the Resurrection pushed to the extreme. As a Lenten exercise this year I read through The Letters and Papers from Prison by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He was held in prison for over two years by the Nazi authorities, and finally executed by them. It is a remarkable and deeply moving collection, giving a picture of serenity and faith in extreme hardship.
But nowhere in it does it refer to anything approaching a vision or mystical experience of any kind. In that respect it is in stark contrast to this last book of the Bible, written by another prisoner who was suffering for his faith. St John's vision could be said to cover that whole expanse of time, in which we are living today, from the Resurrection through to the end of time. The central figure is the Lamb, and when John first sees it, it looks as if it had been slain. Yet, as we were reminded in our reading this morning, he also sees "every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them" all worshipping the Lamb.
That's where the logic of the Resurrection is leading. But from an empty tomb to a full heaven and earth is quite a stretch. We live in between, looking back to the tomb and forward to the unity of all creation. On the way, faith must do its work. More and more people must become convinced. Our reading from the Book of Acts tells us how one of the most important conversions took place.
And we notice right away the absence of a detail. Saul and his companions are on the road to Damascus. There is a brilliant light, leaving Saul temporarily blinded. He hears a voice identifying itself as "Jesus whom you are persecuting." And that's virtually it. What happened? How do we understand or explain it? In one sense, we can't, but in a very important sense we can describe it. It was undoubtedly life-changing. Read through the Book of Acts and all the clues are there. Saul the persecutor suddenly becomes Paul the apostle – and is met by a great deal of suspicion. It is some years before his conversion is accepted as genuine.
What makes it so convincing? The complete transformation of his life. Exactly what happened on the road to Damascus doesn't matter too much. But just as we can say to the doubters about the tomb, 'Here is our explanation of why the tomb is empty, now tell us yours', so we can say the same thing to those who doubt the reality of Saul's encounter with the Risen Christ. Something happened that changed him completely. Here is our explanation, what's yours?
And I end with a similar, although less spectacular, experience recounted by the great Orthodox writer and teacher, Metropolitan Anthony. In his book, The Essence of Prayer, there is a transcript of an interview he gave about his conversion, and it includes this:
While I was reading the beginning of St Mark's Gospel, before I reached the third chapter, I suddenly became aware that on the other side of my desk there was a presence. And the certainty was so strong that it was Christ standing there that it never left me. This was the real turning point. Because Christ was alive and I had been in his presence I could say with certainty that what the gospel said about the crucifixion of the prophet of Galilee was true, and the centurion was right when he said, 'Truly he is the Son of God.' It was in the light of the Resurrection that I could read with certainty the story of the Gospel, knowing that everything was true in it because the impossible event of the Resurrection was to me more certain than any event of history. [For me the Gospel] began as an event that left all problems of disbelief behind because it was a direct and personal experience.
All I wish to add is that, on very rare occasions, I have experienced something very similar while celebrating the Eucharist. That's why I believe completely that Jesus Christ is Risen. He is risen indeed!--
Louise Booth
No comments:
Post a Comment