The gospel of
John has always been the most difficult gospel for me to understand. There is so much mysticism and symbolism
in the language of John. For this concrete individual who thinks in grids it
defies the categories in my head. Having said that, I must say that I find this
particular story intriguing.
Nicodemus, a Pharisee, a learned and law abiding religious leader, comes
to Jesus in the dark of night. Rev. Michael Piazza, Pastor of Cathedral of Hope
MCC, calls this story “Nic at Night.” Nicodemus, in the dark, approaches Jesus,
the light of the world. It is a
classic case of a religious authority confronting holiness, God in the divine
person of Jesus, and realizing that they, a religious authority, are lacking in
faith. Nicodemus acknowledges that Jesus is a “teacher who has come from God.”
Nicodemus has a kind of faith in Jesus. He, like most of us, only understands
part of who Jesus really is and what his presence in our lives can mean for us.
I have
heard the story preached as a story about an unbelieving Jew. The gospel
writer’s community was thrown out of the Temple for following Christ and,
therefore, John’s Gospel is best understood as the record of a particularly
heated dispute, an argument among Jews, for understanding Jesus as the Messiah
or remaining with traditional interpretations of Torah. The Gospel of John has
been used to justify anti-Jewish sentiment by Christians who fail to see Jesus
as a Jew with a controversial interpretation of Torah.
Nicodemus
sees the miracles that Jesus has performed and knows that only one who is sent
from God can bring such healing to the world. How have you looked for God’s
presence in your life in signs and wonders and failed to see God’s presence in
the ordinary …the Christ right in front of you?
I am a sap for a good
miracle story. I have a number of books at home that are true stories of
miracles. One that always stands out in my mind is about a rabbi’s son from
Brooklyn who went off to college and begins a new spiritual journey into New Age
spirituality. He shared with his father, a holocaust survivor that he no longer
wished to be a practicing Jew. A horrible scene followed in which his father
disowned him and kicked him out of the house, stating he was a traitor to his
own people, some of them died for what and who they were.
Josh, the son, left Brooklyn
and was living in England when five years later, after no contact with his
family, he ran into a an old neighbor from Brooklyn who told him that he was
sorry to hear about his father’s death. Josh was stunned and grief stricken. He
could not eat or sleep. He was filled with guilt and regret. A friend casually
suggested that he make a pilgrimage to Israel and visit the Wailing Wall.
Mourners go and write their prayers to God and place them within the ancient
crevices of the wall. Eventually Josh decided to follow his friend’s suggestion
because he sensed he would have no peace until he did. His hands shook as he
scrolled, “Forgive me God for leaving my father. I wish I could go back to him now
and make it right. The truth is that I have always loved him. I never meant to
turn my back on him or you.” He searched for a place to put the paper. The wall
was overflowing with notes to God and several attempts to squeeze the paper in
were failed until one time the paper stayed in place. It knocked out a small
scrap of paper that he picked up and read. Amazingly, it said, “God, forgive me
for my stubborn pride kept me from forgiving my son, Josh. I never meant to turn
my back on him or on you. I love my son and I have always loved you God.” His
father’s distinct signature was right there in his hands, far away from
Brooklyn, among thousands of scraps of paper buried in the holy walls of
Jerusalem. He wept and knew that
God had never left him.
Most of us have more
ordinary experiences with God… the casual miracles of coincidence and chance
encounter. God will enter into our lives in amazing ways when we really need
to experience the truth of healing that only God can give us. Sometimes we miss the ordinary ways that
God touches us. God moves us to pray for another person. We are not sure why
but we follow Christ’s lead and later learn that they were struggling at the
very same time. We pray for resolution to a situation and slowly God works out
the details that our best thinking could not make possible. There is nothing
that God cannot use to bring us closer to God.
Every experience that I have
had God has molded into an instrument of healing for others if I but open my
eyes to spiritual reality.
Nicodemus was lost when
Jesus spoke of “being born again.” I struggle with what being born
again means everyday. I was asked once, “Why do you need Jesus to get to God?” I
paused and realized that as much as I love to talk, this was probably the most
personal question anyone has ever asked me. I responded, “Jesus IS and I know
the truth and I can’t ignore him.”
Jesus speaks about the
relationship with God that one can have through relationship with him. We are
called to live in relationship, struggle in relationship and rest in the warm
affection of relationship to Christ. We are called to be soul mates with Christ.
Soul mates know one another’s souls; their innermost selves are revealed without
fear and reservation. Soul mates don’t lose sight of the big picture when trials
come. They hunker down together and rest assured that God would see them
through. Jesus wants to be right there with you in whatever you face…stop in
the name of love and let Jesus hold you…stop depending on yourself
alone.
The other
day I spoke to a young woman who is very much in love. She is astounded at her
lover’s ability to read her. She told me, “She can look at me and knows how I am
feeling. I don’t have to say or do anything.” That is the intimate knowledge
that being born again assures us. Being born anew is something done
to us by God. Christ sees us everyday and can tell by looking at us exactly how
we feel and what we need.
We
receive new life. We are passive recipients just like the first time we were
born. There is nothing we could do to make it happen and there is nothing we can
do to make God’s grace enter our hearts. Once the grace of God touches your
heart there is no turning back.
Jesus tells Nicodemus that, “The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” The Greek word “pneuma” means both wind and spirit. You can’t stop the wind. You can try to block it. You can ignore it but you can’t stop it. So it is with the Spirit of God. In the beginning God breathed the spirit into flesh and gave it life.
Last week
Rev. Mel White shared with us that Jesus does not guarantee that we won’t suffer
in life but rather that he will be with us in our suffering. It is that holy
presence that sustains us and brings us towards healing. I spend a good deal of time just being
present to people as they struggle with illness, loss, coming out and
relationship challenges. Sometimes the most important thing we can do for
another person is to be fully present to them…to help them know that they are
seen and heard for who they are in that moment.
Christ knows and loves every single person on the planet. To be born
again is to know and love Christ …it is the source of our salvation…the sure
knowledge that we never face life alone. During the days ahead take time to
bring yourself quietly into the consciousness of God’s
presence.
Jesus understood a critical truth to the
faith journey. We are spirits, who for now reside in these bodies and not
simply, bodies with spirits. Jesus enjoyed his earthly existence …he ate
meals and drank wine with his friends. Jesus put his body on the line time after
time, in order, to side with the afflicted and rejected souls of his time.
Some Christians read the Gospel of John and come away with the impression
that Jesus thought physical existence was inferior to spiritual consciousness. I
think he realized and taught us that spiritual life…being in relationship to
God… was eternal or everlasting and physical life … well, it is fleeting. When it came down to it, Jesus was
willing to sacrifice his body for a deeper life in the Spirit.
In the remaining weeks of lent take the
time to feel the winds of God blow through your life. Search for the
extraordinary in the ordinary. Dance with the one who has brought you this far.
Bask in the warmth of the sun knowing that God brought that sun(son) into the
world so that you might live. Wrestle with your God and cry out to your Jesus.
Work out your salvation with fear and trembling…not fear based on potential
danger but fear as in absolute awe of the mighty one who brought you into this
life.
And so I sing to
Jesus:
I marvel at your
love
As I rest between your
shoulders
A beautiful affection for my
life
As you look into my
soul
And see past these
imperfections
And still you call me worthy
of your love
Your truth O
Lord
I love that about you O Lord
Here in this place with my
hands raised
Let me say that I love you
Yes, I
do
Amen!
Please pray with
me:
Most Holy God, Breathe on us
the holy spirit of your everlasting love for us. Help us to seek you day and
night just as you seek each of us. Help us Lord to live in relationship to you.
Remind us that you are calling us home to your loving arms and that we are never
alone. Amen!
MCC St. Louis - Check Us Out!
Get your own, Free
Homepage