Today's Gospel in Art - John ran faster than Peter to the Tomb

St Peter and St John run to the Sepulchre, James Tissot 1886 - 1894, © Brooklyn Museum, New York

27 December 2019 - John 20:2-8

On the first day of the week Mary of Magdala came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved. 'They have taken the Lord out of the tomb' she said 'and we don't know where they have put him.'

So Peter set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb. They ran together, but the other disciple, running faster than Peter, reached the tomb first; he bent down and saw the linen cloths lying on the ground, but did not go in. Simon Peter who was following now came up, went right into the tomb, saw the linen cloths on the ground, and also the cloth that had been over his head; this was not with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in; he saw and he believed.

Reflection on the Gouache on Paper

Only two days ago we celebrated the birth of Jesus. Yesterday we looked at the martyrdom of Saint Stephen. Today we are at the tomb of Christ. Life is short! So between birth and death we better make something of our lives… But let us look more closely at the sentence St John writes in today's Gospel 'They ran together, but the other disciple, running faster than Peter, reached the tomb first'. In the first instance, it may seem like a trivial bit of information we get told. Why is all of this so important for John to tell us that he ran faster than Peter?.... To read on see: www.christianart.today/daily-gospel-reading/277