Feb 24, 2002
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February 24, 2002 John 3:1-17 Religious longing and faith in our time. It is something special with Nicodemus. Is it his religious longing? Obviously he is searching. The human being is longing for something more. It is a search for the truth of God. It is a longing for peace deep in heart. Or is Nicodemus a public person who does not want to expose his faith? Religion is often considered as something private. Many people keep what they think about religion and God as privacy. Nicodemus was a successful man, and he was wealthy and a member of the government of the country, but he wanted to keep his spiritual longing secret. The successful ones very often are lonesome. And so is their faith. They keep their private behind locked doors. Maybe there is a very different reason why Nicodemus spent the night for the conversation? The Pharisees considered that particular time to be the most proper for the purpose of religious studies and conversation about the profound themes of life. In the darkness of night they could have the opportunity to see light. This time of day and night does not fit me, if you ask. The learned Nicodemus does not understand what Jesus was talking about. He does not understand what is said about the new birth as a necessity in order to enter the kingdom of God. Nicodemus thinks of birth by nature. But that is wrong. It is about birth by spirit. It is about being born of God and not of man. From Jesus we understand it is no easy crossing from birth by nature to the kingdom of God. It can only happen by being born again. As a Jew, Nicodemus was born into God’s people but he did not understand this message. Maybe he had a feeling of something new that caused him to look for Jesus during the night. The human being is longing for something more. It is a search for the truth of God. The Church Father Augustin said: "My heart is longing until it finds rest in God." The Norwegian bishop Eyvind Bergrav once said: "the human heart is longing and is to be found." As a successful man Nicodemus was what Jesus called "perished". This particular word expresses something about a path leading into the wilderness and disappears. You can not see any track and you get lost and perished. This might happen in midst of life, - hope and dreams, success and ideals come to nothing, the track disappears. You do not know who you are and where you are. Dante ( a famous Italian poet AD 1300) writes in his Divina Commedia: "I wake up as I was in the middle of my life span, it was night and I found myself in a deep forest, I did not know where I was, and I could not trace my way back and I did not see any path to follow." May be it was not by chance that this happened in the middle of the life span. This is a period of time with some re-orientation and finding a new path from a crossroad. May be this was the case of Nicodemus. He was at the crossroad in his life and was looking for the path to follow. He had a longing for the truth of God. He really appreciated Jesus because he said: "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do signs like you do apart from the presence of God." Obviously this was a good standing. This is faith in process of growth. In the darkness of night Nicodemus found the light and the life. He did surmount many difficulties and struggled with many obstacles to finally reach Him who is the way and truth and the life. But it is no easy crossing to enter God’s kingdom. That is why Jesus instituted Holy Baptism. Born again by water and Spirit! The Son of God brought new life to us. It becomes ours by faith. Therefore John writes: "Yet some people accepted him and put their faith in him. So he gave them the right to be the children of God. They were not God’s children by nature or because of any human desires. God himself was the one who made them his children." John 1:12-13. And in chapter 17: "Eternal life is to know you, the only true God, and know Jesus Christ, the one you sent." John 17:3. See also 1.John 5:20. Paul, the apostle also writes about this: "Anyone who belongs to Christ, is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new." 2. Cor 5:17 He also writes: "In the past you were dead because of you sinned and fought against God.- But God was merciful! We were dead because of our sins, but God loved us so much that he made us alive with Christ-" Eph 2:1-5. At the end of the conversation Jesus points out what is the foundation; "And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the son of God be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." The Son of Man came from heaven and he was lifted up on the cross The cross of Christ is life and light for the human being. There the faith has its treasure. Amen.
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