Bible Text: John 3:1-21 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes
Out of curiosity, Mike and I decided to explore some of the outdoor adventures in this region. Now, although I enjoy hiking, kayaking, and bird watching I tend to do all those activities with safety in mind. I never kayak in windy weather, I enjoy the hikes that are well marked, I will never get to close to a dangerous bird- I’m not what you would say, a big risk taker. Which is why exploring out of curiosity can be a very stupid thing. Out of curiosity, Mike and I signed up to take the “wet and wild tour” at the Horne Lake Caves. Now, because it was a guided tour I assumed that there would be an element of safety. I knew I would get wet and so I wore all my rain-gear and a pair of gumboots. They provided a helmet with a head lamp- after all I understood that it would be dark. And yet I stand before you feeling lucky to be alive. At one point, while I was scaling a 2 meter waterfall in complete darkness with my feet on ledges below and my hands embracing the slippery rock above I thought, at some point I will be able to preach about this. While squeezing between the upper and lower rock face which was on a diagonal and a stream up to my knees was flowing quickly below I thought, only if I survive will I be able to preach about this. Mike meanwhile, was enthralled with the adventure, jumping like a mountain goat from rock to rock. There are three requirements needed to call something a cave. One, it must be natural, meaning that a mine, which is man-made is not a cave. Two, it must have an entry point large enough for an adult to enter-albeit they might have to be able to dislocate their limbs to get through the hole, and three, the cave must endure 24hr- 7 days a week of total darkness. When we turned off our headlamps- which was one of the “fun” things our guide had us do- it was truly dark. Instead of our eyes adjusting to the light- which was no existent- if we were to spend more than 3 days in the cave we would have gone blind. It was total darkness. It sounds fun doesn’t it! Because of curiosity I now know I never need to go spelunking again.
But thankfully our curiosity does not always lead us to such dangerous discoveries. In fact, sometimes our curiosity can save us- even if we are in complete darkness. Nicodemus was a curious man but only under the cover of darkness did he pursue his curiosity about Jesus. Nicodemus was a learned man steeped in scholarship and reason. In the version we read from John says that Nicodemus was a leader of the Jews. We know from the appearance of Nicodemus at a few other events in Jesus’ life that he was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin. The word Sanhedrin comes from the Greek word synedroin which means “to sit together”. Much like the Greek word Presbyter which means elder who gather- the Sanhedrin would gather together in council to discuss matters of faith and relevance. I make the comparison between an elder or a presbyter, and the Sanhedrin because it helps us understand the role Nicodemus had in the community. Imagine what it would be like if we saw one of the elders checking out the new minister down the street- perhaps you don’t need to imagine. But if Nicodemus had been seen by a member of his community going to Jesus for teaching he would have been at the receiving end of an inquisition. As a result it is only in the darkness of the night that he is driven by his curiosity, pulled by his insatiable desire, to figure out just who this man Jesus really is.
He comes at night perhaps because he is fearful of the opinions of his peers. But also because we can all recognize the symbolism of being in the dark. Of being in a time of unbelief, ignorance and quite likely temptation. Even upon his arrival at Jesus’ lodgings he still appears to be in the dark continually confounded by Jesus’ statements.
I can not ignore the statement that Jesus makes when he says that no one can see the kingdom without being born from above. You will see in the footnotes of our NRSV text that it can also mean be born anew and in many translations it is understood as being born again. The Greek word is anaothen and it can mean anew, again, and from above, each one is correct in its literal translation. But that’s exactly the problem, Nicodemus’ confusion happens when he takes Jesus’ words literally. This is an import thing for us to remember- that even in our desire to be believers in the light of God- we sometimes try to fit the metaphors, allegories, and stories into literal spaces- spaces too small for a God so big. Fortunately for us, this discourse, this late night discussion brings some essential teachings to light. This is not really a discussion about whether one must be born again, anew or from above- rather it is a discourse of the difference of that of the flesh, mortal, human, flawed, and that of the Spirit, immortal, divine, flawless.
Something very strange happens in this passage. Nicodemus seems to fade back into the shadows. We never find out if he stayed to get the answers he was looking for or at least some resolution from his confusion. We do know that Nicodemus defends Jesus later on in the Gospel and then later accompanies Joseph of Arimathea with spices to Jesus’ burial. Again it serves as a reminder to us that sometimes belief happens in an instant but, most ofter, over time with the Spirit gently pushing us in that direction. This is a common theme in John’s Gospel. There are some who come to faith quickly and others who take more time. John invites those- then and now- who have difficulty believing that this story of love and sacrifice is relevant to them- to come along for the ride or as John puts it, time and time again, “to come and see”. Faith in John’s gospel is always a verb, and the act of believing takes time and is not a once-and-done action but rather is an ongoing work of the Spirit- who, as Jesus puts it to Nicodemus, blows where it chooses. For some, the coming of the Spirit and faith will be a dramatic life changing event, but for others, like Nicodemus, it will move more slowly and may not be realized until much later in life.
What is lost in the English translation is something rather vital. As Jesus is answering Nicodemus the language of “you” changes. It shifts from the singular to the plural. In verse 11 Jesus answers Nicodemus’ last question and transitions seamlessly from addressing Nicodemus to the entire group. No longer are these answers just for one curious man but for an entire curious community. From that transition from one man to the whole we receive the most recognizable Christian statement and the Bible’s most famous verse.
John 3:16 holds a special place in the hearts of countless Christians- for good reason, it lays out God’s love for the whole world. Notice that God does not ask the world if it wishes to be the recipient of God’s love. God just goes ahead and loves, and not only loves but gives the world his Son. Maybe we wonder, “Suuuure it’s free. But what’s the catch.” The catch is we can run into the darkness and remain there until we go blind or we can stand in the blinding light in the hopes that we too can radiate some of that love from our own beings. Last week I asked you to understand the devil within us, to even get to know that dark side so that we can come out of the Lenten journey knowing God’s love for us. But we must also remember that we are created in God’s image- meaning we must also acknowledge the divinity in each one of us. Thanks to Nicodemus’ curiosity and Spirit-led conversion from dark to light we learn that God’s love is surprising, all encompassing, unasked for and undeserved—it is also given unconditionally. God loves us, whether we like it or not. No wonder we can’t help but be curious. Amen