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John 20:1-9: Two Allegorical Interpretations

Empty Churches

Domestic Church and Virtual Masses

The Gospel of John, particularly John 20:1-9, depicts the story of the empty tomb, an integral aspect of Christ’s resurrection. In the video above (see description below), Fr. Nicholas offers his own unique metaphorical interpretation relating it to the empty churches during Easter in the 2020 pandemic.

Fr. Nicholas’ homily is an exploration of how the 2020 pandemic crisis impactied the celebration of Easter, and how 2020’s celebration was different from previous ones. He reflects on the similarities between how the people in the Bible celebrated the Passover during a plague and how families are now sheltering in place due to the pandemic. He also reflects on the emptiness of churches and the necessity to celebrate at home. He reminds listeners about the importance of building up the domestic church and to come together in faith, even if through virtual means. The homily concludes with a message of hope and faith, looking forward to a time when communities can return together physically to celebrate the Eucharist.

Sacred Scripture

Faith and Understanding

For the first 1000 years, some church fathers also interpreted the empty tomb as a metaphor for spiritual enlightenment, with Peter representing faith and John representing understanding.

In this interpretation, the tomb symbolizes sacred scripture. Just as the empty tomb is a vessel devoid of Christ’s physical presence, so too is scripture a vessel devoid of literal embodiment of the divine. However, just as Christ is spiritually present in the tomb, the divine presence can be discovered in sacred scripture through faith and understanding.

Peter, who is often portrayed in the Bible as the epitome of faith, represents the individual’s faith in the divine and in the divine’s presence within scripture. In John 20:6-7, Peter stoops to peer into the empty tomb, signifying his willingness to look closely at scripture and to accept that it may hold a deeper meaning than what is superficially apparent. Similarly, our faith in the divine allows us to look beyond the mere written words of scripture and to see the underlying spiritual message that the text presents.

John, on the other hand, represents the individual’s understanding of scripture. In John 20:4, we see that John arrives at the tomb before Peter, waiting outside until Peter catches up. This symbolizes the idea that understanding often comes before faith, as one must first understand in order to fully believe. As John enters the tomb before Peter, this represents the understanding that we must first gain before we can truly have faith in what we discover in scripture.

As John sees the linen cloths and believes, this symbolizes the achievement of deeper understanding through reflection and analysis of scripture. This stands in contrast to Peter, who simply saw the empty tomb and went home, still lacking full understanding of the significance of what he had witnessed. Similarly, we must not only have faith in the divine presence within scripture, but also use our understanding to carry us through the process of interpreting and applying the spiritual messages within.

In conclusion, the story of the empty tomb in John 20:1-9 holds a deeper allegorical meaning that extends beyond the literal reading of the text. The tomb, Peter, and John all work together to symbolize different aspects of the spiritual experience, including the importance of faith, understanding, transformation, and acceptance. By embracing this allegorical interpretation with an open heart and mind, we can strive towards a more profound spiritual enlightenment and understanding of the divine.

Ignatius Catholic Study Bible

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