2022/04/18

35. The Beloved Disciple and the One Who Receives the Name of Jesus

God made humanity male and female from the beginning so that they, as father and mother, would share the relationship between God and humanity.¹ The relationship between God and man has been parent and child from the beginning, and the relationship between God and Jesus' "my church" is also parent and child.² Jesus told his disciples there were "eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven" because people had already filled the earth at that time as God had commanded in Genesis. John the Apostle, a childless young man from the beginning, just like Jesus, was particularly called Jesus' beloved disciple. John and James asked Jesus to make them sit at his right and left in his kingdom immediately after Jesus had foretold his Passion for the third time.³ The other disciples became angry with them, but Jesus treated their wishes seriously. Jesus focused on the young men because he saw in them spontaneity towards him. One's will is truly free only when it turns towards God spontaneously. When the Holy Spirit descended, John realised he had received the name of the mother of Jesus. He, a male, could never receive the name of Jesus to become like Jesus.⁴ When John heard Mary Magdalene, who had been called to by the cross of Jesus with him, had encountered the risen Jesus, John paid attention to her. He did so because, from his own experience, he noticed her spontaneity towards Jesus. He understood Jesus had given her the name of Jesus and wrote down this scene in the Gospel. Risen Jesus said to Mary Magdalene in front of the tomb, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" (John 20:15). She thought it was the gardener and said, "Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him." Jesus, seeing her spontaneity in saying, "I will take him," called out, "Mary!" and told her, "Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father" (John 20:17). John interpreted these words to mean that once he ascended to the Father, she would be allowed to touch his name. Mary Magdalene must have been a single woman like Jesus, as her name came with a place name, Magdala. As one of a group of women who served the party of Jesus, sharing their possessions,⁵ she was always watching him from close by and making his teachings her own. Mary Magdalene opened the way to receiving the name of Jesus for new women who would spontaneously live the following words of Jesus. "And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life" (Matthew 19:29).

Reference: 1. Genesis 2:24, 2. this blog #31, 3. Matthew 20:20-23, 4. this blog #34, 5. Luke 8:3

Maria K. M.