Saying 37

English

His disciples said [to him], ‘When will you be revealed to us, and when will we see you?’

[He | Jesus] said, ‘When you strip naked [and are] unashamed, [and take your clothes and put them under your feet like little children and stomp on them. Then you will see the son of the Living One and you will not be afraid].’

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Interpretation

Compare Sayings 18 and 21. The ‘nakedness’ likely refers to the time when followers of Jesus exit their earthly bodies. The author has taken the question posed by the disciples in the synoptics (again closest to the version in Matt 24.3) to demonstrate that Christians have errant expectations. They should not anticipate seeing Jesus descend from the sky. Instead, they will see him when they leave behind this world for the next one. Saying 37 is a late addition to the book, placed here because the previous saying mentioned clothing.

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Parallels

Mark

13.3–4 When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, ‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?’

Matthew

24.3 When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’

Luke

21.7 They asked him, ‘Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?’