Here Already

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. (John 21:20-25)

These passages are the last two in the Gospel of John, and they give us a reason to pause.  Who among us will betray Jesus?  We do so when we fail to believe he will come again.  But, he hasn’t come yet after 2,000 years or so; therefore, how can we still believe and avoid that betrayal?

I prefer not to emphasize his eventual coming.  Rather, I focus on he is here now made present by our charity, compassion, and respect and love for one another.  Moreover, isn’t he always present through the Eucharist – the body and blood of Christ that helps us ward off temptation and deliver us from evil?  

Moreover, when we receive the Eucharist we might remind ourselves that there were many other things that Jesus did that cannot be described individually.  Perhaps we can guess what many were and then make Jesus come again through our enacting them.  One such thing could be our refusal to use social media as a way to wound our “enemies” and spread disinformation and misinformation seeded in the media by followers of the Evil One.

Deacon David Pierce