What Do These Things Mean?
Lent 2a, John 3:1-17, March 16, 2014
MT – Jesus presents a krisis in our lives – will we be of the light or of the darkness – although "after the 'fact'" this involves choices – we need to acknowledge that we are dependent on the grace of God in Christ for this birth – this mystery, this rebirth, this transformation daily.
And it leads from one krisis to another – in a world of complexity, confusion, a mixture of so-called light and darkness. Depend on the breath, the wind, the water, yes, the Spirit.
I speak to you only by the grace of God in Jesus Christ our Lord...
Means – (Have two large signs to hold up before the congregation: one simply says John 3:16; the other says, HOW CAN THESE THINGS BE?)
Have you seen this before? Where do you see it? Do you know it's content? Can we explore it? God so loved the world – the cosmos. What does that cosmos include? People – just some people? Only people? Does the cosmos also include plants, animals, water and other materials? You betcha!
"So loved the world" that God does something. Love isn't merely a feeling or an abstract thought. Love involves action. When we love someone, actually love someone, we not only think about them – we do things with them and for them. We feed them or take them out to eat. We communicate with them. We sacrifice for them.
I can't help but think about this as I watch Carolyn become so ill. Her friends come to visit her. Her family keeps a vigil. I think about this as I watch parents care about and for their children. Parents drive their children places, accompany them as they try on new clothes, ache when they ache and rejoice as they rejoice. I think about this as I watch so many of you invest yourselves in this community – time, talents and money.
God loves the world. And that's difficult because this world is broken.
Do you know what I mean, that our world and that we are broken? See Syria, a nation allegedly poisoning her own people. See the Ukraine – where foreign troops have entered to perhaps divide a nation. See Afghanistan a country that has known war and occupation for so long. Even now, after these occupations Afghanistan remains torn apart. See us as people: forgetting God, at times attempting to treat God as a genie (we'll take God when we're really in trouble) or we'll attempt to treat God like some kind of jack in the box (stay in 'there' closeted by our meager understandings, until we want you to 'pop up').
See our brokenness. We argue over the most trivial things: who will get what from mom and dad's estate – and so forget their love for us as their children are divided. See our brokenness as churches split and congregations divide. These are the communities called to hold up the love of Christ for the entire world. See the abuse of drugs. See the pain of such absue and addiction. See our brokenness in the damage we are doing to the world we have been entrusted with.
Perhaps Paul says it best, "Wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death?"
Nevertheless, God loves the world. So, God acts to free this world, to transform this world, including you and me. Even though at times we may think that we have things all figured out, even forgetting that we need God, God still acts. God is faithful – even though we and those who have gone before us so often have been faithless.
This morning we are allowed to eaves drop on Nicodemus' being encountered by Jesus. Wwho is Nicodemus? That's right he is a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin, the religious leaders of the day. Nicodemus thinks that he knows all about God. Certainly Jesus is from God. Although that is true, Nicodemus hasn't even begun to realize who Jesus is. I wonder if we do?
Remember, even in Nicodemus 'thickness', Jesus loves him. So Jesus turns Nicodemus' supposed certainties on their heads. Nicodemus says, "We know". Jesus says, " Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born "anothen" Now anothen is a Greek word. It can mean "again" or "from above" or "renewed". I suspect that Jesus intended all of these. Here what Jesus is referring to is beyond calculation, beyond human comprehension, beyond analysis. But Nicodemus wants to analyze, to understand, to, in a sense, be in control. Nicodemus takes Jesus literally. For a grown man to be somehow back inside his mother's womb is pure and utter darn nonsense. But Jesus push Nicodemus farther!
So, Jesus says, "Very truly I tell you (there it is again), no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit! ... Then pushing harder Jesus says more, "The wind (breath, Spirit) blows where it chooses 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." Now Nicodemus is lost. He says,
(hold up sign) HOW CAN THESE THINGS BE?
Indeed – how can these things be? How can the Spirit of God blow – even upon us? How can something seemingly so simple as water – flowing over us bring us life now, eternal life now, eternal life forever? How indeed can this be? Explain that to me! Can you , yourself, change your heart and mind – be led from fear and confusion, hatred and anger, apathy and a me first attitude to something, someone new?
Nike's earlier theme for advertising, JUST DO IT, just doesn't work here! Anymore than a baby can conceive herself or navigate under his own power his/her mother's birth canal. How ludicrous, such thinking, such statements!
Jesus says that's how it is with God's reign, God's influence, God's changing of our hearts and minds. God needs to do something. And God does something! God comes into this world, into human lives, our lives and becomes human. In fact God empties God's self in doing so and dies. God dies for us – for you, for me. Ponder that. Whom would we willingly suffer for, die for? What kind of love this is!
And finally all of this is conveyed in and through a motley group of people. I don't know how these things can be! I just observe them. These people, so called by Christ, for moments, and sometimes for hours and even days are led way beyond themselves, to be caught up in God's mission for the world, to actually love the world. This isn't merely some feeling nor even abstract thought. Rather these people are led to do costly things, even sacrificial things for others out of love for those others and obedience to God.
But of course when we actually love we often won't calculate the cost. This love is priceless.
Oh Spirit of God, help us in these Lenten day to be transformed, to be born from above yet again so that in the midst of our brokenness and despair we may live as you call us to, even though we don't fully understand. Amen.