Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - John son of Zebedee and the brother of James, whose name in Jewish means "the Lord has given grace", called by Jesus with his brother when the two men were re-arranging their fishing nets on the shore of Lake Tiberias, was one of the small group whom Jesus always took with him on important occasions. “This leading position among the Twelve in a way renders more comprehensible the initiative taken one day by the mother - Benedict XVI said during the general audience in Wednesday 5 July -: she went to Jesus to ask him to allow her sons, John and James, to sit one on his left and the other in his right in the Kingdom. As we know, Jesus replied with a question: he asked if they were ready to drink the chalice he was to drink. The intention behind these words was to open the eyes of the two disciples, to introduce them to knowledge of the mystery of his person and to foreshadow their future calling to be his witnesses to the supreme trial of bloodshed.”
John held an important position in the Church in Jerusalem and in fact Paul referred to him as one of the ‘pillars’ of that community. “In particular - the Pope explained - , we should remember that John, affirms with Peter in front of the Sanhedrin where they are on trial: "We cannot remain silent about what we have seen and heard". This frankness in confessing his faith is an example ... for us all to be ready to declare decisively our unswerving loyalty to Christ, putting our faith before all calculation or human interest."”.
According to tradition, John is the 'beloved disciple' who rested his head on the Master's chest during the Last Supper; he was at the foot of the Cross together with Jesus' Mother, and was a witness to the presence of the Risen Lord. “We know this identification is today debated by scholars some of whom see in him simply the prototype of the disciple of Jesus - the Pope said -. Leaving it to the exegetes to unravel the question, here it is enough for us to learn an important lesson for life: the Lord desires to make each of us a disciple living in personal friendship with Him. To do this, it is not enough to follow and listen to Him exteriorly, it is necessary to live with Him and like Him. This is only possible in the context of a relationship of great familiarity, pervaded by the warmth of complete trust."
The Oriental Church calls John simply 'the Theologian,' “ in other words, one capable of speaking of divine things in accessible terms, revealing a mysterious access to God through adherence to Christ”.“Precisely in the East - the Pope continued - John enjoyed and continues to enjoy great veneration; in Byzantine iconography he is often depicted as a very old man in an attitude of intense contemplation, almost as if calling for silence. Without adequate meditation it is impossible to approach the supreme mystery of God and His revelation."
The Holy Father concluded his catechesis saying “May the Lord help us to learn from John the great lesson of love so we may realise we are loved by Christ ‘to the very end’ and decide to spend our live for Him.” (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 6/7/2006, righe 37, parole 544)
