A farmer in Georgia was sitting on the porch of his
tumble-down shack. He was ragged and barefoot when a stranger
stopped for a drink of water. Wishing to be agreeable, the
stranger said, "How was your cotton coming on?" "Ain't got
none," replied the farmer. "Didn't you plant any?" asked the
stranger. "Nope, fraid of boll weevils." "Well," said the
stranger, "How is your corn?" "Didn't plant none. Fraid there
wa'nt going to be no rain," came the reply. The stranger confused
but persevering asked, "Well, how are your potatos?" "Ain't got
none, scart o' potato bugs." "Really, what did you plant," asked
the astonished visitor. "Nothin," said the farmer. "I just played it
safe."
Most people do not play it that safe, but most people are afraid
to take a chance, especially on people. We fear to risk putting our
trust in others because we know how weak and fallible people are.
Jesus knew this better than anyone, but He took great chances,
and put His trust in men who are very risky candidates for
Apostles. Jesus wanted to play it safe, He never would have
chosen John the younger son of Zebedee. John was not just
potential trouble, he was actual trouble. There are more negative
characteristics of John in the New Testament than any of the 12,
and yet he became the great Apostle of love.
John could be called the Apostle who experienced the greatest
change, for he went from the most proud, arrogant, intolerant,
and narrow-minded of the 12, to the most loving man whose
writings have done more to spread love than any other man in
history. John is a good example of the fact that Jesus did not
choose men for what they were, but for what they could become.
Before we see what John became by the grace of God, let's look at
the negatives we have on him in the synoptic Gospels. There are
no negative facts about John in his own Gospel, for John, though
he was a partner with Peter all his life almost, was a different
character from Peter. John did not bring out his errors like Peter
did. Peter told of his blunders, but John would rather forget
them.
When John wrote his Gospel the other three were already
written and well known. They are so negative on John that he
probably thought there was little he could add, so he ignores
himself all together in his own Gospel. He never even mentions his
own name. In only 6 places is he even referred to. In three of the
six he is called, "This man," "That disciple," and "The disciple
who testified these things." In the other three he is "The disciple
whom Jesus loved." He has that very positive distinction, but
let's look at him in the other Gospels.
In Luke 9, for example, we get quite a glimpse into John. In
verse 46 he and the others are arguing as to who is the greatest.
We know John thought he was the best of all, or at least second
best, for as we shall see later, he had the audacity to ask Jesus for
a place at his right or left in the kingdom. In verse 49 we see John
demonstrating his intolerance. He said to Jesus that he saw a man
casting out demons in his name, and he forbid him to do so
because he did not follow with them. John cannot take all the
blame, for the others, no doubt, felt the same. The point is, we see
John as ideal material for becoming a zealous bigot. He would
have made Christianity so exclusive and narrow that it would have
been horrible to disagree with him. He would be
excommunicating or executing all over the place.
The proof of this in the next paragraph. The Samaritans did
not like the Jews, and when they knew Jesus was heading for
Jerusalem they refused to give He and His disciples any
hospitality. This burned John and his brother James, and his
tornado like temper wanted to blow. John is a victim of prejudice,
and he wanted to burn the place down. He said to Jesus, "Do you
want us to bid fire come down from heaven and consume them?"
This was John's solution to the problem of prejudice and social
injustice at this stage of his life. Later in the book of Acts we see
him with Peter going to the Samaritans and laying hands on them,
and seeing them filled with the Holy Spirit. John praying down
the fire from heaven to bless the very people he first longed to see
consumed by the fire of wrath.
Some ancient authorities add, "As Elijah did," in verse 54.
John thought he had a Biblical basis for his bad temper. Just
because Elijah called down the wrath of God, John thought he
should do the same. You the pride and arrogance here that most
all of us have to some degree. We try to find a text or example in
the Old Testament as a precedent for our sub-Christian attitudes.
We feel justified in being sub-Christian if we can find someone
who is just in having the same feelings. In verse 55, however,
Jesus rebukes them, for their spirit is not in accord with His at all.
He came to save and not destroy men. John was not thinking of
that at all. He was only concerned about his rights and pride. He
wanted to have the power of God's wrath to back up his pride.
Imagine the danger of a man like John without Jesus around to
rebuke and control him. Jesus had to rebuke him for arguing
about greatness, for forbidding a man to heal in His name, and for
his bad temper. John had some learning to do to become the
Apostle of love.
Jesus knew his character fully, but He took the risk of trying to
train him to be all God wanted him to be. He and his brother are
given a special nickname in Mark 3:17. They are called sons of
thunder. Most all of what we say about John applies to his
brother James as well. They were, no doubt, spoiled rotten. They
probably got everything they ever wanted, and that is why they
were such temperamental hot-heads. They had much wealth, and
were among the rich of their day. Their father had hired
servants, and John had a large home, for he took in Mary the
mother of Jesus after the crucifixion.
We have a clue also in John 18:15 that John was of a
well-to-do family very influential in society. When Jesus was
arrested we read, "Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another
disciple. As this disciple was known to the high priest, he entered
the court of the high priest along with Jesus, while Peter stood
outside at the door." John got Peter in, but he would have been
better off shut out, for inside he made his three fold denial. Peter
had no connections like John. John knew people in high places.
John was the only one of the 12 at the cross, because he did not
fear officials like the others, for he was used to dealing with people
on that level.
H. V. Morton in The Steps Of The Master writes, "There is in
the back streets of Jerusalem a dark little hovel, now, I believe, an
Arab coffee-house, which contains stones and arches that were
once part of an early Christian church. The Franciscan tradition
is that this church was erected on the sight of a house which had
belonged to Zebedee, the father of St. John. This family, said the
Franciscans, were fish merchants of Galilee, with a branch office
in Jerusalem, from which they used to supply, among others, the
family of the High Priest." This would explain how John knew the
High Priest, and could get himself and Peter inside. Solome, their
mother, was one of the women who followed Jesus and ministered
of him of her substance. She asked Jesus to give her boys the best
positions, and this indicates she was a woman of wealth and
position herself.
All of this shows that John and James did have some reason for
their pride. They were in a higher social class, and they had
prospects for being very successful in the secular world. They
figured they should have the top spots in the kingdom Jesus came
to establish. We often hear that Jesus chose poor fishermen to be
His disciples, but this tradition is not supported by the evidence of
Scripture. In Mark 10:35-45 we read of how James and John
came to Jesus and request Him to do what they asked. He says,
"What do you want me to do for you?" They say, "Grant us to sit
one at your right and one at your left in your glory." They were
use to getting places by knowing somebody, and so why not with
Jesus?
Jesus uses the occasion to do some teaching. He tells them
that their request is not His to grant, and verse 41 says the other
Apostles were indignant at James and John. The struggle for
power among the Apostles was just like the struggle among any
group of men. Greatness and position is all they could think about
and squabble about. Jesus teaches them they are acting like the
Gentiles who loved to lord it over one another. He says the whole
thing is to be reversed in His kingdom. The greatest are the
servants, and He closes His lesson with His own powerful example.
"For the Son of Man also came not to be served but to serve, and
to give His life as a ransom for many."
In Matt. 20:20-29, Matthew tells us their mother put them up
to it, and so we see behind their own ambition was the family
status and ambition. Not only did the family of John have wealth
and status, but they were related to Jesus according to the best
evidence. In John 19:25 we read that standing by the cross of
Jesus were His mother, and His mother's sister. This sister is
likely the Solome that Mark and Luke mentioned, and whom
Matthew in 27:56 calls the mother of the sons of Zebedee. Not
only John, but His mother was at the cross. We see a strong tie of
families making John the full cousin of Jesus. All of this led to him
feeling he should have special privileges. It also makes it clear
why John took Mary home with him after the cross.
Leonardo da Vinci apparently thought James and John got
their way with Jesus, for in the Last Supper John is at the right
and James at the left of Jesus. John lived the longest and received
the greatest revelation ever. He became the greatest prophet of
all time through the book of Revelation. The greatest
achievement of John, however, was his becoming the Apostle of
love. He penned the greatest verse of Scripture on God's love in
John 3:16. He alone wrote, "God is love." He writes of love in his
epistle more than all the others put together. Love of brethren is
a key note with him who was once the most quarrelsome of all. He
became as strong on love as he once was on revenge. He said
those who do not love are in darkness and do not love God. He
wrote, "If anyone says I love God, and hates his brother, he is a
liar."
John never lost his temper, but he brought it under the control
of love. He could be sharp, but did so in love. Many are the
stories of tradition of how he loved people, and once risked his life
to win back a youth who became a thief. The stories are likely
true, for no name ever became so popular as John, which means
God is gracious. There is a long list of Christian leaders named
after John. John Chrysostom, John Huss, John Wycliffe, John
Calvin, John Knox, John Wesley, John Milton, and John Bunyan
just to mention some of the best known.
He saw more real tragedy in his own life as well as future
tragedy in his visions than the rest of the Apostles put together.
His first master, John the Baptist was beheaded. His Lord was
crucified, and his brother James was the first of the Apostles to be
martyred. He lived to see all the rest martyred also, plus masses
of other Christians. In John 21:20-23 we read of the rumor that
got started that John was not going to die. He did finally die, but
only after outliving 12 Roman Emperors. But John, who saw
more hell on earth than any of the 12, also saw and gave to
Christians the only vision we have of heaven. He was 90 or older
and was ready for a literal journey to heaven when God revealed
it to him in spirit. You wonder how an old man could take all that
excitement with horseman, battles, trumpets, violence, and noises
of agony. There is certainly reason to believe that even as an
Apostle of love John was in a positive way right to the end a Son of
Thunder.
