The Gospel
of John portrays a deep and wide range of human experiences and emotions. In the prologue, we read that the Word takes
on flesh and dwells among us (1:14), validating our existence as humans.
We can see
the gospel’s embrace of human experience in characters’ speech. For instance, Nathanael expresses mistrust
when he asks, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (1:46). I imagine the steward in Cana guffawing after
saying, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after
the guests have become drunk. But you
have kept the good wine until now” (2:10).
Nicodemus reveals his ignorance—and expands the primal human
metaphor—when he asks Jesus for clarification:
“How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s
womb and be born?” (3:4). The man healed
of blindness expresses frustration and defiance when he tells the Pharisees, “I
have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?”
(9:26-27). We catch a glimpse of the
Pharisees’ wounded pride in their response:
“You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?”
(9:34).
One of my
favorite revelations of character is when Jesus goes to Judea to see his
beloved friend Lazarus, and Thomas tells the rest of the disciples, “Let us
also go, that we may die with him” (11:16).
Although Thomas may have literally willed to die with Jesus, I like to imagine
Thomas speaking sarcastically, knowing that they are heading into danger, yet,
maybe because he is a disciple, or because he knows it is right, he has no
other choice but to follow.
Before
Jesus’ crucifixion, Pilate expresses wonder and existential despair in response
to Jesus: “What is truth?” (18:38). After Jesus’ resurrection, the disciple whom
Jesus loved exclaims upon seeing Jesus, “It is the Lord!” (21:7). The narrator tells us that Peter is pained at
Jesus’ asking three times, “Do you love me?” (21:17). We see Peter’s curiosity, perhaps out of
competition or fear of what’s to come, when he asks, “Lord, what about him?”
(21:21).
Characters
in other canonical gospels reveal character, too. For instance, Peter has a reputation of
sometimes speaking thoughtlessly (Matt 26:33, Mk 14:29, Lk 22:33). But not only are the words I quoted unique to
John, I also think their humanity is emboldened because Jesus’ speech is often
symbolic in John. From Jesus’ “I am”
statements (4:26, 6:35, 8:12, 8:58, 10:11, for example) to his final speech and
prayer (13-17), ironically, Jesus often doesn’t speak in a manner we would
expect people “of the flesh” to speak.
Jesus’ symbolic speech foils for the earthly speech of other characters,
and especially for Jesus’ own fleshly speech.
Perhaps the
most poignant expression of Jesus’ emotion is when we might expect Jesus to
speak, but instead he is silent. Near
the middle of the gospel, Jesus and his disciples learn that Lazarus has died. Jesus sees Mary and the Jews with her
weeping, and asks a practical question:
“Where have you laid him?” (11:34).
They respond with Jesus’ own symbolic words (1:39), reversing the roles
between master and servants: “Lord, come
and see” (11:34). Then, “Jesus began to
weep” (11:35).
On the
morning of Jesus’ resurrection, Mary is weeping at the empty tomb, speaking
with two angels in white. Then she turns
around and sees Jesus, although she doesn’t recognize him. Could Jesus be teasing her? He asks, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” (20:15), echoing
his symbolic speech in 1:38. Mary,
thinking he is a gardener, asks him to take her to Jesus’ body. Then Jesus says, “Mary!” (20:16).
In one word, we see that Mary is reunited with her Lord, and her Lord is
excited to see his friend again.
Verses taken from the NRSV.
Verses taken from the NRSV.
