In this blog, we'll focus on the working being done at Sligo Presbyterian Church, Sligo, Pennsylvania. We'll also look at what's happening in Sligo, Rimersburg, Clarion, and all the other communities served by our congregation.
Showing posts with label Beside(s) Jesus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beside(s) Jesus. Show all posts
As we approach Easter, Christians all over the world focus their attention on the cross and tomb. And because of this, the usual challenge to follow Jesus just doesn’t seem appropriate. I mean, let’s face it, we’re not Jesus, and we usually stop short of going all the way to the cross and tomb; therefore, using him as an example just doesn’t seem particularly helpful, not as we deal with issues much less dramatic than the crucifixion and the resurrection. But fortunately, Jesus wasn’t the only character in this story. In fact, there were some who just might provide examples that we should follow while there were others whose actions and attitudes we might want to avoid. And this will be our focus on each of the Sundays leading up to and including Easter.
You see, using the Gospel of John, we’ll look at the following six men and women so that we might better understand who they were, what role they played in this story, and how we might use their examples in our own lives:
On Easter Sunday, April 20, we looked at the Mary Magdalene and discussed how her encounter with the resurrected Christ might shape our response to Easter. Below is a video of the service, the podcast of the sermon and the service bulletin. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT). You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page.
As we approach Easter, Christians all over the world focus their attention on the cross and tomb. And because of this, the usual challenge to follow Jesus just doesn’t seem appropriate. I mean, let’s face it, we’re not Jesus, and we usually stop short of going all the way to the cross and tomb; therefore, using him as an example just doesn’t seem particularly helpful, not as we deal with issues much less dramatic than the crucifixion and the resurrection. But fortunately, Jesus wasn’t the only character in this story. In fact, there were some who just might provide examples that we should follow while there were others whose actions and attitudes we might want to avoid. And this will be our focus on each of the Sundays leading up to and including Easter.
You see, using the Gospel of John, we’ll look at the following six men and women so that we might better understand who they were, what role they played in this story, and how we might use their examples in our own lives:
Well, here we are, Easter morning. Of course, how we celebrate Easter now-a-days is a little different from what we did in the past. I mean, when I was a kid back in the 60s, well, Easter was all about wearing new and uncomfortable clothes. And it was all about eating candy that you never saw much less ate any other time of year. And it was all about dad filming my brother and sister and me wandering around the front yard on his 8mm camera and then my grandparents coming over in their Cadillac with the fins and taking some more pictures of us wandering around with their Polaroid. Of course, now-a-days, well, things have changed. I mean, we’re a lot more laid back about clothes. And you can get peeps for Halloween and Christmas. And I doubt that anyone here this morning owns a Polaroid, much less an 8mm camera. As a matter of fact, if you’re below a certain age, you probably don’t know what those things even are. My gosh, I’m getting old.
But be-that-as-it-may, today is Easter, and that means we’re finishing up a sermon series we started back in mid-March entitled Beside(s) Jesus: Other Characters Around the Cross and Tomb. And during these five weeks, using the Gospel of John, we’ve looked at Philip, the guy who connected folks with Jesus, and Peter, the apostle who tended to act before he thought. We talked about Annas and Caiaphas, two priests who had some pretty confused priorities, and Pontus Pilate, the Roman governor who was just overwhelmed by the situation he faced. And then last week, we spent some time with Nicodemus, a Pharisee who was able to change and to grow. And as we discussed these people, we tried to learn a little bit about ourselves by applying their examples to our own lives.
And this morning, we’re going to finish this up by focusing on Mary Magdalene, a woman whom the Evangelist John only mentions as being at the cross and tomb. You see, we’re going to sort of put ourselves into her shoes when she encountered Jesus after he’d been raised, there in the garden near where he was buried and then we’re going to discuss how making that kind of identification might shape how we respond to the resurrection. And to do that, we’ll answer these two questions. First, what happened to Mary in the Garden? And then, second, how can her encounter with Jesus shape us?
Of course, like I said, Mary Magdalene in the garden isn’t the first time the Evangelist John mentioned her. For example, the Evangelist put her right there at the crucifixion. He wrote:
Jesus’ mother stood beside his cross with her sister and Mary the wife of Clopas. Mary Magdalene was standing there too. [John 19:25, CEV]
And then, a few days later, she was actually the first one to the place where Joseph from Arimathea and Nicodemus had laid Jesus. This was what John wrote:
On Sunday morning while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran to Simon Peter and to Jesus’ favorite disciple and said, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb! We don’t know where they have put him.” [John 20:1-2, CEV]
And so, in this gospel, Mary was certainly there at the cross and at the tomb, but more in a supporting role than in the lead.
But I’ll tell you, that changed after Peter and the other disciple had gone to and returned from the empty grave. Just listen to what the Evangelist John wrote:
Mary Magdalene stood crying outside the tomb. She was still weeping, when she stooped down and saw two angels inside. They were dressed in white and were sitting where Jesus’ body had been. One was at the head and the other was at the foot. The angels asked Mary, “Why are you crying?”
She answered, “They have taken away my Lord’s body! I don’t know where they have put him.”
As soon as Mary said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there. But she did not know who he was. Jesus asked her, “Why are you crying? Who are you looking for?”
She thought he was the gardener and said, “Sir, if you have taken his body away, please tell me, so I can go and get him.”
Then Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to him, “Rabboni.” The Aramaic word “Rabboni” means “Teacher.”
Jesus told her, “Don’t hold on to me! I have not yet gone to the Father. But tell my disciples I am going to the one who is my Father and my God, as well as your Father and your God.” Mary Magdalene then went and told the disciples she had seen the Lord. She also told them what he had said to her. [John 20:11-18, CEV]
Now that’s what John wrote. And let’s think about what’s going on here. You see, when we first see Mary in this part of the story, man, she’s really distracted, isn’t she? I mean, there she was, “...crying outside the tomb.” [John 20:11a, CEV] And I’ll tell you, even though two angels were sitting where Jesus should have been and even though “the angels asked Mary, ‘Why are you crying?’,” [John 20:13a, CEV] Mary just couldn’t get pass all those emotions she was feeling and all those assumption she was making and all those conclusions that just made sense to her. I mean, they must have taken the body of her Lord; for her, that was obvious. As a matter of fact, even when “she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, ...she [still] didn’t know who he was” [John 20:14b, CEV]. According to John, “she thought he was the gardener and said, ‘Sir, if you have taken his body away, please tell me, so I can go and get him.’” [John 20:15b, CEV] Now that was what happened. Mary’s feelings and assumptions and conclusions prevented her from seeing the truth. She was distracted.
And I’ll tell you, I think it could have gone on like that all day, if the risen Christ hadn’t done something that changed everything. You see, Jesus spoke. According to John, “Then Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’” [John 20:16a, CEV] And as soon as he called her by name, “she turned and said to him, ‘Rabboni.’” [John 20:16c, CEV] In other words, even though she was looking directly at him, she didn’t recognize him until he said “Mary.” And although, on one level, that really doesn’t make a lot of sense, it does as soon as we remember something Jesus said earlier in the gospel. You see, when he was talking about shepherds and sheep in chapter ten, Jesus said this:
I tell you for certain only thieves and robbers climb over the fence instead of going in through the gate to the sheep pen. But the gatekeeper opens the gate for the shepherd, and he goes in through it. The sheep know their shepherd’s voice. He calls each of them by name and leads them out.
When he has led out all of his sheep, he walks in front of them, and they follow, because they know his voice. The sheep will not follow strangers. They don’t recognize a stranger’s voice, and they run away. [John 10:1b-5, CEV]
You see, according to what Jesus said, the Good Shepherd knows his sheep by name. And that’s why calling her “Mary” was such a big deal to her. To that very distracted disciple, Jesus spoke. And when he did, man, Mary responded. I mean, even though when he said this stuff about the shepherd knowing the name of his sheep back in chapter 10, “they did not understand what he was talking about,” [John 10:6b, CEV], as she stood there, in the garden, face to face with her Lord, all of a sudden, Mary understood, didn’t she? The Good Shepherd knew her by name. And so, she recognized him. And she listened to him. And when “Jesus told her, ‘Don’t hold on to me! I have not yet gone to the Father. But tell my disciples I am going to the one who is my Father and my God, as well as your Father and your God’,” [John 20:17, CEV] that’s exactly what she did. According to the Evangelist, “Mary Magdalene then went and told the disciples she had seen the Lord. She also told them what he had said to her.” [John 20:18, CEV] You see, even though she’d gotten distracted by all the other stuff, you know, feelings and assumptions and conclusions, when she heard Jesus speak, she responded.
And I’ll tell you, on this Easter morning, the exact same thing can happen to us. In other words, in my opinion, that’s exactly how her Easter encounter can shape our Easter response. And you know, that’s probably a good thing, because just like her, it’s easy for us to become distracted. I mean, let’s get real, I think most of us are dealing with all kinds of issues in our own lives: issues that lead us to have certain feelings and to make certain assumptions and to reach certain conclusions. Good night nurse, whether it involves handling situations we’ve been facing for years or coming to grips with something we couldn’t have expected, we’ve all got stuff going on in our lives, don’t we? And I’m talking about things that can sort of take over our emotions and trigger a whole mess of assumptions and cause us to jump to all kinds of conclusions. And you know, I think that can be particularly true for Christians, especially when we expect God to intervene at a certain time and in a certain way, and then get all disappointed when he doesn’t. Do you see what I mean? And you know, because of those feelings and those assumptions and those conclusions, I can sure understand how we might miss “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ [and] the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit.” [2 Corinthians 13:13a, NRSVUE] Just like it happened to her, man, it can happen to us.We can get really distracted.
But you know, on this Easter morning, I’ve got some really good news for y’all: Jesus still speaks; man, he still speaks to us. And I’ll tell you, just like it was for Mary, right here and right now, Jesus Christ, the risen Lord, the Good Shepherd, man, I believe he calls us by name. You see, whether we like it or not, he really is our shepherd and we can trust that regardless of who we are or what we’ve done, praise the Lord, we’re all part of his flock. Man, that’s why we’re here this morning. Of course, we can deny it until the cows come home, but, brothers and sisters, that’s who we are. I’m telling you, Jesus is still speaking to us, and PTL, he calls us by name.
And that’s why, again right here and right now, we can do what Mary did. In other words, right here and right now, we can respond in three ways. For example, first, we can recognize, recognize Jesus for being exactly the one he said that he came to be. In fact, we can do this with the same words we’ll hear a little later. You see, after Jesus said to him, “‘Stop doubting and have faith!’ Thomas replied, ‘You are my Lord and my God!’” [John 20:27b-28, CEV] I’m telling you, like Mary we can recognize who Jesus is.
But that’s not all, because like her, we can also listen, listen to what he says. And that’s the second thing we can do. I mean, we can listen to him say this to his disciples: “But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you.” [John 13:34, CEV] And we can listen to him also tell them to “stay joined to me, and I will stay joined to you.” [John 15:4, CEV] And we can sure listen to him when, after asking if he loved him, Jesus told Peter to “feed my lambs” [John 21:15b] and to “take care of my sheep” [John 21:16b] and to “feed my sheep.” [John 21:17b, CEV] Man, once we recognize who he is, we can listen to what he has to say.
And then, third, like Mary, we can do exactly what we’ve been called to do. In other words, we can decide to love one another, but not just when we feel like it or when we’re around those whom we already like. Instead, we can choose to treat all people with kindness and respect all the time. You see, the real question of Christianity isn’t, “Can we love Jesus?” It’s, “Can we love Judas?”Now, that’s loving. And we can decide to make the effort to be close to Jesus and his people, even if that might mean joining in one of the groups we have right here in this church or getting ourselves up on Sunday morning so that we can worship with God’s people. And you know, even if, at 10:00, you’re still in your pajamas, that’s OK; you can stream the services right into your living room or kitchen or bedroom. Now that’s abiding. And we can decide to do what we can to help others, but not because we have so much, father because they have so little. And just remember what Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew, “Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me.” [Matthew 25:40b, CEV] Now, in my book, that’s what it means to feed the lambs and care for the sheep. You see, just like Mary, we can respond by recognizing and listening and doing.
Of course, I understand that it’s doubtful that Jesus will tell us to get all dolled up on Easter morning or to fill ourselves with a lot of Cadbury chocolate and marshmallow Peeps or to buy an old-timey camera and to tell our kids to just wander around the yard. I think that time has passed. But I don’t think that’s the case with the example left by Mary Magdalene. You see, like her, we can become distracted when we experience all kinds of feelings and make all kinds of assumptions and reach all kinds of conclusions, and I’m talking about feelings and assumptions and conclusions that can actually distract us from God. But here’s the Good News, just like he did for Mary, Jesus still speaks to us; he still calls us by name, and because we’re part of his flock, right here and now, we still know his voice. And because of that, just like Mary, when we hear our names, we can respond. And because of that, we can recognize and we can listen and we can do what we’ve been called to do. And in this way, we’ll be claiming the example left by Mary Magdalene on that first Easter morning.
During our approach to Easter, Christians all over the world focus their attention on the cross and tomb. And because of this, the usual challenge to follow Jesus just doesn’t seem appropriate. I mean, let’s face it, we’re not Jesus, and we usually stop short of going all the way to the cross and tomb; therefore, using him as an example just doesn’t seem particularly helpful, not as we deal with issues much less dramatic than the crucifixion and the resurrection. But fortunately, Jesus wasn’t the only character in this story. In fact, there were some who just might provide examples that we should follow while there were others whose actions and attitudes we might want to avoid. And this will be our focus on each of the Sundays leading up to and including Easter.
You see, using the Gospel of John, we’ll look at the following six men and women so that we might better understand who they were, what role they played in this story, and how we might use their examples in our own lives:
As we approach Easter, Christians all over the world focus their attention on the cross and tomb. And because of this, the usual challenge to follow Jesus just doesn’t seem appropriate. I mean, let’s face it, we’re not Jesus, and we usually stop short of going all the way to the cross and tomb; therefore, using him as an example just doesn’t seem particularly helpful, not as we deal with issues much less dramatic than the crucifixion and the resurrection. But fortunately, Jesus wasn’t the only character in this story. In fact, there were some who just might provide examples that we should follow while there were others whose actions and attitudes we might want to avoid. And this will be our focus on each of the Sundays leading up to and including Easter.
You see, using the Gospel of John, we’ll look at the following six men and women so that we might better understand who they were, what role they played in this story, and how we might use their examples in our own lives:
As we approach Easter, Christians all over the world focus their attention on the cross and tomb. And because of this, the usual challenge to follow Jesus just doesn’t seem appropriate. I mean, let’s face it, we’re not Jesus, and we usually stop short of going all the way to the cross and tomb; therefore, using him as an example just doesn’t seem particularly helpful, not as we deal with issues much less dramatic than the crucifixion and the resurrection. But fortunately, Jesus wasn’t the only character in this story. In fact, there were some who just might provide examples that we should follow while there were others whose actions and attitudes we might want to avoid. And this will be our focus on each of the Sundays leading up to and including Easter.
You see, using the Gospel of John, we’ll look at the following six men and women so that we might better understand who they were, what role they played in this story, and how we might use their examples in our own lives:
Well, here we are, Palm Sunday, the day we celebrate Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. And next week, we’ll go through what I call a ministerial marathon, passing through the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday and the crucifixion on Good Friday, right to the resurrection on Easter. And after that, we can all take a collective deep breath and then slowly let it out, knowing that there won’t be any special services or congregational dinners or Easter egg hunts any time soon. PTL.
And because of that, next week, we’ll be tying up this series on some of those individuals about whom John wrote as he described the last week in Jesus’s life. Now to this point, we’ve looked at Philip and Peter, Caiaphas and Annas and Pontus Pilate. And this morning, we’ll focus on Nicodemus, a person only mentioned by the Evangelist John, a Pharisee who did something truly remarkable. You see, during the course of the gospel, he actually changed.
And I say that’s truly remarkable, because, in my opinion, that’s not something we do particularly often or particularly well. You see, when push comes to shove, I believe most people are pretty resistant to change, even when change just makes sense. I mean, I think we all recognize that the world isn’t the way it used to be. For example, we face situations that couldn’t have been imagined twenty-five years ago, and those new situations bring new problems and new challenges that can’t be solved if we’re stuck in a world that no longer exists. You see, we’re going to have to change, right?
But right there is where it gets hard, because change is difficult. I know it makes me really uncomfortable, and I’m talking about when I have to deal with threats I don’t understand and assumptions I don’t share and values I frankly don’t like. And don’t get me started on modern “music.” No, change is difficult to accept, and that probably explains why, in an awful lot of situations, we simply don’t. We don’t accept it. And instead, we try to pretend that everything can still be the way we think it should be and that we can just ignore all those nasty threats and assumptions and values. You see, we try to pretend that we can move forward while looking back, back to an idyllic past that we believe was more simple and more pure and more true, but probably wasn’t. And as we look back, the world moves on, leaving us behind with our memories and our traditions and all those warm and fuzzy feelings. And I’ll tell you, I think it affects us both as individuals and communities. I mean, last week, I ran across a meme that sent a chill up my spine. It was from a great Southern Baptist evangelist named Thom Rainer. He wrote, “Some churches would rather die than get out of the comfort of the past.” Now that’s what he wrote, and you know, I think he’s right, but not just about churches. I think the same can be said of a lot of us; I know it can be said of me.
And you know, that’s why I think talking about a guy like Nicodemus is important, because he was willing and able to do something with which we sort of struggle. He was able to change. And I’ll tell you, that’s how we’re going to approach him this morning. You see, we’ll use the example of Nicodemus as we consider what we face in our own lives. And to do that, we’ll be answering two questions. First, how did Nicodemus change in the Gospel of John? And then, second, how can we apply his example?
And you know, when you consider how he’s presented by the Evangelist, change is really what Nicodemus is all about in the gospel of John. I mean, just consider the three times he’s mentioned; Nicodemus is not the same person at the end, right there after the crucifixion, as we was in the beginning.
For example, Nicodemus first appeared at the beginning of chapter three, in a passage that every Sunday School teacher has probably taught at least once. Just listen to what the Evangelist John wrote:
There was a man named Nicodemus who was a Pharisee and a Jewish leader. One night he went to Jesus and said, “Rabbi, we know that God has sent you to teach us. You could not work these miracles, unless God were with you.”
Jesus replied, “I tell you for certain that you must be born from above before you can see God’s kingdom!”
Nicodemus asked, “How can a grown man ever be born a second time?”
Jesus answered:
I tell you for certain that before you can get into God’s kingdom, you must be born not only by water, but by the Spirit. Humans give life to their children. Yet only God’s Spirit can change you into a child of God. Don’t be surprised when I say that you must be born from above. Only God’s Spirit gives new life. The Spirit is like the wind that blows wherever it wants to. You can hear the wind, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going.
“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. [John 3:1-9, CEV]
Of course, after that Jesus goes on to explain the reason he came. Now that was the first appearance of Nicodemus.
But not his last, because about four chapters later, this happened:
When the temple police returned to the chief priests and Pharisees, they were asked, “Why didn’t you bring Jesus here?”
They answered, “No one has ever spoken like this man!”
The Pharisees said to them, “Have you also been fooled? Not one of the chief priests or the Pharisees has faith in him. And these people who don’t know the Law are under God’s curse anyway.”
Nicodemus was there at the time. He was a member of the council, and was the same one who had earlier come to see Jesus. He said, “Our Law doesn’t let us condemn people before we hear what they have to say. We cannot judge them before we know what they have done.”
Then they said, “Nicodemus, you must be from Galilee! Read the Scriptures, and you will find that no prophet is to come from Galilee.” [John 7:45-52, CEV]
Now, do you see what I’m talking about when I say he changed? I mean, this guy who was literally in the dark when he first came to Jesus, now he wants to give Jesus a hearing. In other words, now he wants to do some investigating before closing his mind to the possibility that Jesus was more than those other Pharisees assumed. You see, as I read it, in this second passage, we see an openness that doesn’t seem to be present when he asked a question that sounds a little sarcastic to me, “How can a grown man ever be born a second time?” [John 3:4b, CEV] Although certainly not a believer yet, Nicodemus has changed.
Something that, I think, becomes even more apparent near the end of Jesus’s story. You see, right after the crucifixion, this was what John wrote:
Joseph from Arimathea was one of Jesus’ disciples. He had kept it secret though, because he was afraid of the Jewish leaders. But now he asked Pilate to let him have Jesus’ body. Pilate gave him permission, and Joseph took it down from the cross.
Nicodemus also came with about 30 kilograms of spices made from myrrh and aloes. This was the same Nicodemus who had visited Jesus one night. The two men wrapped the body in a linen cloth, together with the spices, which was how the Jewish people buried their dead. In the place where Jesus had been nailed to a cross, there was a garden with a tomb that had never been used. The tomb was nearby, and since it was the time to prepare for the Sabbath, they were in a hurry to put Jesus’ body there. [John 19:38-42, CEV]
Now that’s what happened. Nicodemus had changed, moving from a skeptic who sought out Jesus to a person who was open to think about possibilities that he may not have entertained in the past to a man who assisted a disciple prepare and bury Jesus. You see, this was how Nicodemus changed in the Gospel of John.
And even though that’s certainly “nice to know” information, the rubber hits the road with the answer to our second question: How can we apply his example? In other words, how can we claim and use the example of this man who was able to change his perspective and his opinions, even his loyalty, how can we walk in his footprints as we face all the stuff that’s going on around us all the time? How can we do that? Now that’s a great question. And as to the answer, I think we can find something in what Nicodemus did in each of his appearances in the Gospel, something that I believe we can also do.
For example, first, we can decide to seek, to seek out new information that we may not have had before so that we might better understand. And I’ll tell you, I think that’s exactly what Nicodemus did. I mean, even though he entered the story in the dark both physically and spiritually, he didn’t stay there. Instead, he came to Jesus. And he asked questions, including “How can this be?” [John 3:9a, CEV], a question that set Jesus up to offer probably the most quoted verse in the entire New Testament: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. [John 3:16, KJV] That’s what he said. And after the questions, he listened for the answers. You see, Nicodemus decided to seek the truth. And I’ll tell you, so can we. So can we as we try to navigate as Christians living in a constantly changing world. So can we when we decide to come to the places where we might hear the truth and where we can come with all our questions and where we can decide to wait patiently for the answers. Now that’s what we can decide to do. And I’ll tell you, when we do, I think we just might find ourselves in the same place Simon Peter found himself when this happened:
Because of what Jesus said, many of his disciples turned their backs on him and stopped following him. Jesus then asked his twelve disciples if they also were going to leave him. Simon Peter answered, “Lord, there is no one else that we can go to! Your words give eternal life. We have faith in you, and we are sure that you are God’s Holy One.” [John 6:66-69, CEV]
You see, like Nicodemus, we can decide to seek; that’s the first thing we can do.
And after seeking, second, we can decide to think, you know, to take a step back from what we may have assumed and to think about the situation and about the options, and to do it with an openness that just might lead to some real answers. And I’ll tell you, I believe that’s exactly what Nicodemus did when he was with those other Pharisees on council. You see, based on what John wrote, Nicodemus decided to pause and to look pass some of those assumptions held by everybody else in the room and to gather more information before making up his mind, in other words, before deciding what to believe and to do. And again, I believe we can do the same thing ourselves. Of course, I recognize that it’s not easy. I mean, it’s not easy to pause when everyone around us is all gung ho. And it’s not easy to look pass some assumptions with which we feel really, and I mean, really comfortable. And it’s sure not easy to gather more information when that little voice is telling us that all those threats I don’t understand and all those assumptions I don’t share and all those values I don’t like, well, they’re all just plain wrong...period, close the book, Elvis has left the building. You see, even though it may not be easy, we can still decide to think. And when we do, I believe we’ll be doing the very thing the Evangelist hoped everyone would do when they read his gospel. This was what he wrote:
Jesus worked many other miracles for his disciples, and not all of them are written in this book. But these are written so that you will put your faith in Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God. If you have faith in him, you will have true life. [John 20:30-31, CEV]
You see, like Nicodemus, we can decide to think, and that’s the second thing we can do.
And finally, we can decide to act. I mean, after seeking and thinking, we can actually decide to do something. As a matter of fact, when you get right down to it, it’s in the actions we take, it’s right there where the seeking and thinking have meaning. And in the last Nicodemus story, I believe that was certainly the case. You see, after seeking and thinking, he took action. He came prepared and he worked with someone else and they did what was necessary, what was a appropriate, what was right. And you know, we can do the same. I mean, right here and right now, we can prepare ourselves to move forward within the world we have even if it may not be the one that we want. And we can gather together, first to seek the truth and then to think about what we’ve found and then to use what God has given us to do what’s necessary and appropriate and right. We can act, something that Jesus challenged his disciples to do right before they shared their last meal.
After Jesus had washed his disciples’ feet and had put his outer garment back on, he sat down again. Then he said:
Do you understand what I have done? You call me your teacher and Lord, and you should, because that is who I am. And if your Lord and teacher has washed your feet, you should do the same for each other. I have set the example, and you should do for each other exactly what I have done for you. I tell you for certain that servants are not greater than their master, and messengers are not greater than the one who sent them. You know these things, and God will bless you, if you do them. [John 13:12-17, CEV]
You see, like Nicodemus, we can decide to act, and that’s the third thing we can do.
Of course, I don’t believe doing this kind of thing will automatically make change comfortable and easy to do. I mean, it’s just plain hard to step away from all those places and ideas that have offered us so much peace and security in the past. Of course, maybe, if we lived on a deserted island, maybe we could cling to those things and be just fine. But in reality, we live on this island earth, and there are times when we’re going to need to change or be left behind. But as we saw with Nicodemus, change is more than possible when we decide to seek, to come and to ask and to listen, and when we decide to think, to pause and to look pass the assumptions and to gather information, and of course, when we decide to act, to be prepared and to join with others and to do what’s necessary and appropriate and right. You see, this we can do. And when we do, we’ll be walking in the footprints of Nicodemus, a Pharisee who was willing and able to change.
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