Page 153 - laten-08-06-2020

Beloved Disciple

A closer walk with the Lord

John 20: 1-10

Introduction

hese Lenten days we are journeying through the way of cross
Twith Jesus along with many people involved in the event of
crucifixion. When we seriously examine People and characters
involved in the process of cross we cannot overlook the place of
a young man named Thomas and his search for peace of Christ
journeying with the cross of his Master.

Beloved Disciple
The Beloved Disciple in the John’s gospel is clearly
described as the ‘disciple whom Jesus loved’. This character is
simultaneously a figure of great importance and a very elusive
character in the Gospel of John. He is introduced not only as
one of Jesus’ closest followers, but also as the author of this
gospel (John 21:24). In spite of his crucial role, he is mentioned
only in certain passages in John (13:21–30; 19:25–27; 20:2–
10; 21:7, 20–25), and his appearance even in these passages is
abrupt: nothing in the Johannine story has paved the way for
his presence, nor is his disappearance from the scene told to the
audience of the gospel. Moreover, the Beloved Disciple does not
appear at all in the synoptic gospels, not even in the synoptic
parallels to the passages in John where he is mentioned. The
elusiveness of the Beloved Disciple in John and his absence
in other sources has led most scholars to the assumption that
this figure has been added secondarily to the earlier traditions
available to the author of the Gospel of John.

It is also interesting that the Beloved Disciple remains
anonymous in John. The only designation used for him in John
is ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved.’ The Beloved Disciple’s special

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Lenten Meditations Re - Imaging People