The Breast of Jesus

Hearing the love of Jesus in the gospel of John

12/31/2019

John 1:1-18 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light,so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him.

I really love the gospel of John. It is my favorite book of the whole bible, and not just because it was written by my patron saint, St. John the Evangelist. That definitely is a plus! We just heard from the magnificent opening of the gospel, John 1:1-18, the Prologue. Like the stunning start of a great symphony, like the overture of Handel’s Messiah, so John’s Prologue hits the major motifs that will be heard later in the gospel.

Most modern scholars deny that John could have authored the gospel because its theological reflection is too profound that one person could not possibly have composed it. But I disagree. Why? Well, because John was the youngest of the 12 apostles and Jesus had a special predilection for him. Indeed, he is called the Beloved Disciple, not in an exclusive sense, but in a representative sense, because John embodies all that a good disciple should be. In John 13, John leans against the breast of Jesus at the Last Supper. Who knows what heavenly secrets John heard beating in that holy heart. And to whom does Jesus entrust his precious Mother Mary while in agony on the Cross? He entrusted his Mother to John, the Beloved Disciple, who stayed faithful to the bitter end, even when the other apostles abandoned our Lord. Finally, John became the bishop of Ephesus, which is where Mary also resided for the rest of her life. So, not only did John learn the depths of the faith from Jesus’ heart, he was also tutored by Jesus’ Mother.

As you probably know, the Church’s liturgical calendar is organized around a 3-year cycle, and each year roughly corresponds to one of the synoptic gospels. Year 1 gives us the gospel of Matthew, in Year B we hear from Mark, and Year C serves up Luke. But what about John? John is so special we hear from him every year, especially in the holy seasons of Lent and Easter. By the way, the gospel of John in Lent is deliberately designed to speak to those going through RCIA and desire to become Catholic.

In Lent we hear from John 4 and the Samaritan woman at the well, who thirsts for living water. We hear from John 9 and the man born blind, whom Jesus cures because he is the light of the world. And we hear from John 11 that relates the raising of Lazarus by Jesus “the resurrection and the life.” In each episode, Jesus describes himself as the living water, the true light and the eternal life. In other words, John invites his readers, especially thirsty RCIA candidates, to sort of lean against the breast of Jesus and hear the beating of his holy heart, and understand how much he loves each of them.

Let me share a few of my favorite chapters of John’s gospel and point out how profound they are, but also how practical they are. At weddings, I love to read from John 2, and the wedding at Cana in Galilee, where Jesus changes water into wine. In my wedding homily, I tell the doting couple that in all marriages human love begins like intoxicating wine, but often turns into weak water. But if Jesus is at your wedding, he can change the water of human love into the wine of divine love, his love. That is why it is so important to get married in church, where we find the best wine, Jesus’ Blood, in the Eucharist. That’s what John heard leaning against the breast of Jesus.

In John chapter 3, Jesus explains to Nicodemus the urgency of baptism. He says we must be born again or born from above by water and the Spirit. In other words, we must be spiritually adopted into the family of God. Why? Well, so that when we die, we can look forward to going home to our Father’s house. Later in John 14:2, Jesus reassures his disciples: “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?” That is, baptism is like the key that unlocks the gates of Paradise for us. That is also why we Catholics baptize babies and infants, so that if a baby were to die (God forbid), he or she would be welcomed home to heaven as a child of God, not as a neighbor kid. That’s what John heard leaning against the breast of Jesus.

In John 6, Jesus delivers his decisive Bread of Life Discourse, and insists that only if we eat his Body and drink his Blood will we enjoy eternal life. How is that possible without being accused of cannibalism? Jesus adds that he will be the true manna or bread that we must consume to live forever. Interestingly, there is no Last Supper “Institution Narrative” in the gospel of John (like in Matthew, Mark and Luke), but in a sense, John 6 supplies that “Institution Narrative.” Jesus says in effect: “If you want to live forever, eat this!” And he hands us his Body and Blood in the Bread and Wine of the Eucharist. That’s what John heard leaning against the breast of Jesus.

In the finally analysis the reason I believe John the Beloved Disciple was the author of the fourth gospel is because the principal author of all scripture is the Holy Spirit. And the Eternal Spirit could just as easily inspire one man as well as the entire Johannine community to write the last gospel. But it was not a community that leaned against the breast of Jesus.

Praised be Jesus Christ!