Master, why can I
not follow you now?
That's Peter's
response when Jesus says,
Where I am going,
you cannot follow me now, though you will follow later.
We can see at least
three different levels to Jesus' statement.
The literal, surface
level; the level on which Peter responded.
Like, If you're
going to walk over to the garden, why can't we know that and come along?
On a second level,
Jesus is saying:
His disciples don't
yet have enough faith or understanding.
They aren't yet willing
to follow him fully.
Certainly not to his
trial and death.
On a third level,
Jesus is saying:
His disciples aren't
yet permitted to follow him into heaven.
Later in the supper,
Jesus will pick up on that third level.
He’ll say, In my
father's house there are many rooms.
I'm going to
prepare a place for you.
Where I'm going,
you know the way.
There's the
real Good News message of this sad, coming Passion.
But even after
hearing that Good News, Thomas will draw us back to that first level.
He’ll reply, We
don't even know where you're going, how can we know the way?
With today's passage,
we seem more caught in that second level of meaning.
The deficiencies of
faith, and understanding and full commitment and courage.
We see Judas the traitor.
We see Peter the
coward.
Even Peter, who has
witnessed so much with his own eyes.
The transfiguration,
the raising of the widow's son, the official's daughter and Lazarus.
His own walking on
water, and all the other miracles.
Not to mention the
teaching, the wisdom, the holiness, and the compassion of Jesus.
Yet, Peter’s still
stuck at the literal, surface-level question of, Why can't I come along?
He’d do better to ask
why he's still plagued by those deficiencies.
Better to ask, Given
all I know, why am I not a more faithful follower?
Master, why can I
not follow you—even now?
Today, we are the
ones who claim to be Christians.
Disciples, followers,
of Christ.
We know the Good News
answer of where Jesus was going.
We know he's prepared
a place for us in his Father's house.
We're no longer
threatened with trial and death for following him.
We know God's will,
because Jesus has taught us.
He has set the
example; shown us how to follow that will.
And yet, we still
struggle with those same deficiencies that plagued the original disciples.
We too, still have
good reason to ask …
Master, why can I
not follow you—even now?
Tuesday of Holy Week
Jn 13:21-38 Read this Scripture @usccb.org
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