Nicodemus is one of us. This Jesus has struck a nerve in this
teacher and “ruler” of the Jewish establishment. He has questions – but,
given his position, he has to stay under the radar, so he comes to meet
Jesus privately, late at night.
Jesus talks about God in ways that Nicodemus has never thought
of: a God of compassion rather than a God of order and law; a God of
forgiveness rather than a God of condemnation; a God of light who
illuminates the darkness; a God who constantly calls us back to him; a
God who is Father of all.
Nicodemus’ reaction to all of this is not recorded – but something
clicks. When the Jewish council plots to condemn Jesus, Nicodemus
will protest and defend Jesus; on Good Friday, when the body of Jesus is
taken down from the cross, Nicodemus will be there, with myrrh and
aloes (not an inexpensive contribution) to bury Jesus.
Slowly, Nicodemus moves from the edge of faith to the center
where the Spirit of God dwells. For Nicodemus, Jesus’ image of God is no longer just an ideal but a powerful sign of compassion and mercy
dwelling in our midst.
Nicodemus struggles with Jesus – as we all do. But he possesses
the grace of an open heart and mind and so comes to find God. He seeks
God – and finds God. And so can we.
We are all Nicodemus: We struggle to make sense of Jesus; we
wrestle with trying to reconcile his Gospel with the demands of our
world. In his questioning and confusion, in his fears and doubts,
Nicodemus is welcomed by Jesus with understanding and compassion.
Like Nicodemus, we are all seekers and Christ has assured us of his
company on our journey; like Nicodemus, we find ourselves coming to
Jesus in the middle of our darkest nights, seeking hope and consolation,
direction and comfort – and Jesus neither rejects us nor admonishes us,
but welcomes us. We discover the God that Nicodemus discovers: a
God of light who transforms our despair into hope; a God of wisdom
who enables us to re-create our Good Friday deaths into Easter
resurrections; a God of compassion who heals our broken spirits into hearts made whole. We are all Nicodemus. Amen
Archive for the ‘Lent’ Category
We are all Nicodemus 3-14-2021
Sunday, March 14th, 2021Enough 3-7-2021
Sunday, March 7th, 2021Enough, she said sadly. This wasn’t working. They had some
wonderful times together and he was a nice guy – but it was clear, at
least to her, that each wanted different things out of life. So, with tears
in her eyes and a smile on her face, she wished him well and they parted.
Enough, he said with frustration. The project was going nowhere.
They were wasting valuable time and resources. There were too many
competing visions and goals – and egos. He decided to cancel the next
meeting; instead, he spoke one-on-one with each member of the team.
He reviewed what needed to be done to move forward. Then he and the
team member decided together whether he or she should continue
working on the project. A smaller, more focused and in-sync group then
brought the work to completion.
Enough, they said. It had been a long year, with both Mom and
Dad working at home and the kids attending classes online in their
rooms. Living in the same 3,000 square-feet of space 24/7 can’t help but
lead to impatience, bickering, boredom, and frankly, loneliness. So Mom and Dad announced a cleaning day. Every room of the house –
yes, including your rooms, kids – would be vacuumed, cleaned and
dusted. Clothes would be hung up (laundered, if needed), books and
games put back where they belonged, and stuff not needed would be
donated or tossed. Everyone worked together cleaning the kitchen and
shared family spaces. The day ended with pizza and a movie. Dinner
was restored as “sacred time”, with everyone assigned a role and
attendance mandatory. With a clean and orderly house, they found that
their attitudes had gotten a bit more positive. The started to be a family
again. Just enough…..
We all reach the point of “enough”: when we’re tired of accepting
less than what’s possible, when what’s right and just eludes us because
of selfishness and avarice, when we refuse to remain silent any longer
for the sake of complacency posing as “peace”. Jesus reaches that point
of “enough” in today’s Gospel: “enough” of the commerce and profit
that has degraded the temple – the time had come to restore the temple
as a place of prayer, of welcome and peace, of charity and kindness. What Jesus does in the cleansing of the temple we must do in our lives:
“enough” of the merchants who try to sell us on a set of beliefs and
values based on self-interest and greed; “enough” of the “money
changers” who shortchange us of the time and attention we want for
family and friends; “enough” of the useless, the meaningless, and the
destructive that make our lives less than what God created them to be.
Amen
Transfiguration of the Lord 2-28-2021
Sunday, February 28th, 2021There once was a king whose greatest desire was to gain absolute
power over every square inch of his kingdom. He had succeeded in
removing all obstacles to his complete control except one; the people
still put their ancient God above the king. The king summoned his three
wisest advisors to find a way to put an end to such worship. “Where,”
asked the king, “where might the people’s God be hidden and so be
made to vanish from their lives and cease to challenge my rule?”
The first advisor suggested hiding the God at the summit of the
highest mountain. “No,” said the king, “The people would abandon
their homes and climb the highest mountain to search for their God.”
The second advisor proposed hiding the people’s God at the
bottom of the sea. But the king rejected the idea as well; “The people
would probe the ocean’s depth to find their God,” he said.
Finally the third wisest advisor, a wrinkled and bent old man,
spoke his advice in a hoarse whisper. “O mighty king,” he said, “hide
the people’s God somewhere in their everyday lives. They will never find it!”
This third trusty advisor understood who we are! God is hidden,
but not in some remote, faraway spot. God is right here in our everyday
lives. Yet we rarely see God and rarely recognize God’s presence. All
too often we fear that we are walking alone and we dread that our
journey may have no destination, may be just a long walk to nowhere.
All too often we are deaf and blind to God. So it is for us – doubting
and weary travelers – that Jesus was transfigured and, just for a moment,
shone along like the sun on top of that mountain. And it is to us, the
blind and the deaf, that God is speaking through that stunning event.
And what is God saying? “I am with you always, walking at your
side. And your name is written on the palm of my hand. If you listen
carefully, you’ll see that I am here. So watch and listen!”
It takes time to learn how to listen attentively and respectfully to
everyday life. It takes time to learn how to hear what’s really going on
around us and to see what’s always been right under our nose. It does
take time, but if we persist in paying respectful attention to everyday life, very slowly we’ll begin to catch a glimpse of God when we look at a rose; we’ll begin to feel the nearness of God in the cool evening
breeze; we’ll begin to hear God’s voice echoing inside the voice of a
friend. And we’ll begin to know the warmth of God’s presence as we
hold a newborn child.
The road we walk is a long one, often rough, and sometimes
dangerous. But God desires that none of us walk that road alone. God
desires that at every moment of every day we have the comfort, the
strength, and the delight of divine company. A friendship that is ours for
the taking.
I came across a poem by an 11 year old girl who does a very good
job of recognizing God in her everyday life:
“I saw Jesus last week. He was wearing blue
jeans and an old shirt. He was up at the church
building; He was alone and working hard.
For just a minute he looked a little like one of our
members. But it was Jesus…I could tell by his smile.
I saw Jesus last Sunday. He was teaching a Bible class.
he didn’t talk real loud or use long words. But you
could tell he believed what he said. For just a minute, he looked like my Bible teacher. But it was Jesus…I could tell by his loving voice.
I saw Jesus yesterday. He was at the hospital visiting a friend
who was sick. They prayed together quietly. For
just a minute he looked like Mr. Jones.
But it was Jesus…I could tell by the tears in his eyes.
I saw Jesus this morning. She was in my kitchen making
my breakfast and fixing me a special lunch. For just a
minute she looked like my Mom.
But it was Jesus…I could feel the love from her heart.
I see Jesus everywhere. Taking food to the sick…
Welcoming others home. Being friendly to a newcomer…
and for just a minute, I think he’s someone I know.
But it’s always Jesus…I can tell by the way Jesus serves.”
