“A necessary discovery”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Monday, August 12, 2024
John 3: 1-21 (Forward, p. 14) CEV p. 1102
Nicodemus and I are old friends. What I mean by that is that I have known countless people who are just like him over the course of my ministerial career—people who are successful, wealthy, learned, and prominent in both community affairs and the church. The cream of the crop, the top of society, you might say. He or she is the kind of person who heads up numerous church and civic endeavours and gets nominated for the Citizen of the Year award, and yet is always striving and searching, never quite satisfied, never quite content where he or she is in the world.
Nicodemus came to Jesus because he felt that Jesus could help him in his search. From the signs, the miracles, that Jesus was doing, it was obvious that God was at work in Him.
Nicodemus began the conversation with some pleasantries, some flattery, but Jesus stops him in his tracks. No more beating around the bush, Jesus gets to the point: nobody can get into heaven unless God does a piece of work in him, what Jesus calls being ‘born again’ or ‘born from above.’ Natural birth, our earthly births, are fine for inhabiting this planet but not for heaven. To reside there, we need the kind of birth that only God can provide. Only God the Holy Spirit can transform us into a child of God.
It is mysterious and happens quite invisibly, and yet it has an irrefutable and observable impact. And the way that this happens is through us placing our faith or trust in Jesus.
All of this comes as quite a blow to Nicodemus, for up until now he has relied on his work and his wisdom and his winning place in church and society. Now, it turns out, none of this works as far as heaven goes. Poor old Nicodemus, somewhat addled and confused, has to go and think about this. And yet, as we discover ‘at the end of the story’ (see John 19:39-40), he does come around, and does come back. Somehow ‘the coin’ has dropped for him and he makes the discovery of his lifetime—and eternity!
Forward notes: “Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (verse 18).
“Today’s gospel is at once awesome and devastating. Nicodemus knows that Jesus is sent from God, but he does not yet believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus speaks in metaphors about being born of water, hearing the wind, and standing in the light—explanations that stir more questions than answers. Nicodemus does not ‘get it,’ and many of us do not either.
“I grew up in the late 1960s, a time when many friends and neighbours went to church every Sunday. At a young age, I came to believe easily that Jesus is my Saviour. As a young adult, I realized that some of my friends wrestled with the Word at great length. I admire this and believe God honours genuine inquiry. Over the years, I have met people who gave up on their faith journey out of boredom or frustration. Others were simply not convinced.
“Here is where I must stay in my lane and leave any condemnation to God—and instead pray about my own nagging questions.”
Moving Forward: “Where are you on your faith journey?”