Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved, the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper and had said, “Master, who is the one who will betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus said to him, “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me.” So the word spread among the brothers that that disciple would not die. But Jesus had not told him that he would not die, just “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours?” It is this disciple who testifies to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written. (Jn 21:20-25)
We finally come to the second conclusion of the Fourth Gospel (according to John—the first conclusion is at John 20:30-31). And we have Peter’s question about the Beloved Disciple. The Lord’s response is basically, “It’s none of your business!” But the interesting part is the observation about the rumors that the Beloved Disciple would not die. My professor thought that Lazarus (not John) was the Beloved Disciple . . . and that since Lazarus had already been raised from the dead, then it would make sense of this passage about the Beloved Disciple not dying. Of course, according to the writer of the gospel, the Beloved Disciple wrote these things but had since died by the time this chapter was added to the gospel. Speculation about the Beloved Disciple’s fate is not encouraged . . . “What concern is it of yours?” Instead we are given the same command that Peter receives: “You follow me.” And of course that’s what the gospel is all about!
Today is the feast of Saint Joan of Arc who was burnt at the stake on May, 30, 1431. She was 19 years old. Her last word: “Jesus!”
