Today’s short Gospel reading is from the “Appendix” to the Gospel of John. My Bible states that it was written later, added either by John himself or one of his disciples on his behalf. Apparently, John felt it important to add a few more details concerning an appearance by Jesus after his resurrection.

The appearance is on the shores of Tiberias, and includes the now-familiar story of the disciples fishing at night and catching nothing. That is until the “stranger” on the shore calls to them and tells them to cast their net starboard and suddenly their net is overflowing.

They then recognize Jesus and quickly join him on shore for breakfast. Shortly thereafter, as we heard in yesterday’s Gospel, Peter and Jesus have a conversation in which Peter is given the chance to redeem himself for denying Jesus three times after Jesus’ arrest.

That is where today’s Gospel begins. Peter and Jesus are talking, and Peter turns and sees John following them:

“Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved,
the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper
and had said, ‘Master, who is the one who will betray you?’
When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, what about him?’
Jesus said to him, ‘What if I want him to remain until I come?
What concern is it of yours?  
You follow me.’
So the word spread among the brothers that that disciple would not die.
But Jesus had not told him that he would not die,
just ‘What if I want him to remain until I come?
What concern is it of yours?’
It is this disciple who testifies to these things
and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true.
There are also many other things that Jesus did,
but if these were to be described individually,
I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written.”

I love this short reading because, not to be irreverent, it reminds me of a social media post today. One person posts their version of a story and it becomes accepted and widely spread, until one of the other people involved (in this case, John) posts a clarification to set the record straight.

It reminds me so concretely of the humanness of all the disciples and followers of Jesus. Not only because of John’s clarification of what actually happened, and the final words that state, so humanly, “There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written,” but also because of Peter’s role in the story.

Peter says, “Lord, what about him?” referring to John following them. How often do we say that to God? What about him or her, who is doing something “wrong,” or getting too many “blessings” in our opinion, or neglecting us, or …. ? The list can be endless.

Jesus’ answer to us is the same as to Peter: “What concern is it of yours? You follow me.” May we plant those words deeply in our hearts, file them permanently in our memory, and remember them the next time we want to pass judgement on someone else, thereby taking our eyes off what we are supposed to be doing: following Jesus.