Paul met him as a blinding light on the road to Damascus. And for the rest of his life, “Paul overwhelms us because he himself had been overwhelmed.”
We don’t know when John met Jesus, but almost for sure he was the one who reclined closest to Jesus at the last supper. He was the one “whom Jesus loved.” And for the rest of his life, John wrote about the love of God. John was such an introvert; and God used him the way he was.
And Peter, what about him? Well, Peter was a dynamo like Paul, but a different kind of dynamo. Let’s call Peter more of a blue-collar dynamo. If the man Jesus were to have come into our culture, the Peter equivalent would probably not be a fisherman. He would be a small general contractor.
A guy with a truck; maybe a backhoe.
A guy who can round up a coupla other guys to do a job. As in: “the heck with this standin’ around, I’m gonna get some work done.” And the others said, “We’ll go with you.”
And all through his life, Peter was more and more able to say, “You know guys, all this stuff we’ve been readin'; it wasn’t for the guys that wrote it, it’s for us, so let’s get to work! "
The resurrection of Jesus Christ was a historic event. How the power of that resurrection is lived out in each of us, well, that is an aesthetic matter. For each of us there’s feel to that power that is uniquely crafted for you and me … and for Christ in us the hope of glory.
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Acts 9.3-6 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord,” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
John 13.23 One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table close to Jesus… see also John 19.26 20.2, 21.7, 21.20 (“the one whom Jesus loved”)
John 21.3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
1 Peter 1.10-13 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours made careful search and inquiry, inquiring about the person or time that the Spirit of Christ within them indicated, when it testified in advance to the sufferings destined for Christ and the subsequent glory. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things that have now been announced to you through those who brought you good news by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven - things into which angels long to look! Therefore prepare your minds for action …
Colossians 1.27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
The quote about Paul comes from Hans Urs von Balthasar, The Glory of the Lord: A Theological Aesthetics, vol 1. San Francisco/New York: St. Ignatius/Crossroads, 232. In this context Bathasar also makes reference to John has having met Jesus when the Lord invited two disciples to “come and see” where he lived (John 1.39). It is not clear to me that this passage refers to John the writer of the fourth Gospel; I think Bathasar was mistaken here.
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