Lent II: Nicodemus

The Gospel of John is a distinctive, reflective, and very late Christian document. It is stylized, heavily theological, and troubling in many ways.   In its final form it is generally believed to have been completed well into the second century, C.E., long after the bitter separation of synagogue and church.  It does not share its source tradition with the other, "synoptic" gospels.  It is significantly anti-Semitic in its tone.  The book is replete with all-new material found nowhere else -- much showing development in church life over time, such as the omission of the by-then-old-at narrative of the Lord's Supper in favour of the footwashing story, and his sermon about his Real Presence in the Eucharist (ch. 6).  There is also significant theological development: the Jesus who in Matthew says, "Don't call me good. Only God is good," here in John declares, "The Father and I are One"  insisting that prayer be directed to God through him. Jesus Seminar scholars have concluded that no statement attributed to Jesus in John was actually spoken by the historic Rabbi from Nazareth.

Members of the Jesus Movement experienced deep pain, disappointment, and anger in the refusal of mainstream Jews to accept their arguments for Jesus' Messiahship and to convert to Christ.  That reality is reflected in John's Gospel in the depictions of general interactions among Jesus, other Jews, and Gentiles and lies beneath the surface of today's story of Jesus and respected mainstream Jewish leader Nicodemus in chapter 3.

Nicodemus comes to see Jesus by night [so as not to jeopardize his position as a mainstream Jewish leader].  He addresses Jesus as Rabbi [begrudgingly acknowledging Jesus' credentials as a teacher]. Nicodemus further acknowledges that Jesus is divinely commissioned [reading him quite correctly.]

Then they undertake a conversation about spiritual rebirth in which Nicodemus is seen as nothing short of an idiot: he assumes that Jesus' counsel that one must be reborn means climbing back into one's mother's womb.  You can't get much more stupid than that.  Jesus explains that this is a true spiritual concept for those open to the Spirit which is as untamable as wind.

What Jesus accomplishes in the conversation is to show that, in order for lives to be changed, Jesus' light must shine in the darkness and there must be a safe place to ask questions.  Jesus offers to Nicodemus the possibility of having a life-changing experience in which he learns to move from the biblical literalism and stifling traditions of Judaism to being attuned to the work of God's Spirit in the Church..

Like Nicodemus we do not always "get it," we are not always open to the change that God has in mind for us in our lives.  Lent helps to facilitate that process when we are willing to let it work for us.