BETWEEN ACCESSION AND BETRAYAL

With none other than you / is the conversation.
And here I wait for you.

Vittorio Sereni

It may perhaps be surprising, but Jesus’ long speech in Capernaum firstly provokes rejection and abandonment (of following him) then, through Peter’s words, adherence and confession (of faith). Why did the disciples abandon the rabbi of Nazareth? There are at least three reasons. The first concerns wrong expectations. The disciples had seen wonders from Jesus, and they wanted, together with the crowd, to make him king. But Jesus flees because he does not want to use bread to reign over men. His is a messianism not in the economic-political order but in the redemptive-salvific order. The second reason is of a spiritual nature: Jesus speaks but the crowd and the disciples do not know how to listen. The sign? The murmuring. Of course, they heard what Jesus was saying but they did not internalize it (cf. Jn 6.60). This closure leads to disbelief. The third reason is more serious and we can define it as following-in-appearance-only. The passage, as we have noted, ends on the figure of Judas, the disciple who not only denies but betrays the Master. His figure is disturbing because, while everyone abandons Jesus, he, who has already conceived in his heart to betray Jesus, remains together with the Twelve.  In a word: he flaunts – apparently – a following, but in his heart he is just waiting for favourable conditions to deliver the Master to the Jews. But there is also adhesion, as we have recalled, well highlighted in Peter’s words: « Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and known that you are the Holy One of God ” (John 6:68-69). For Peter, spokesperson of the Twelve, leaving Jesus means losing the path of life; if for the disciples the Master’s words were harsh (cf. Jn 6.60), for the apostolic group they are words that give a fullness of life (eternal life). We then notice an important detail. Peter says: “We have believed and known.” Not: first we knew you and then, having known you, we believed you, as would be obvious. First comes trust and then knowledge. Only those who trust and believe come to know. In conclusion, Jesus’ speech confirmed some and pushed others away. Why? But because God’s revelation is a judgment.

Commento a cura di d. Sandro Carotta, osb
Abbazia di Praglia

Translation by f. Mark Hargreaves,
Prinknash Abbey