Faithful Conversations #3

Jesus’ First Encounter with Nicodemus

Readings:
Genesis 12:1-4a
Psalm 121 (1,2)
Romans 4:1-5, 13-17
John 3:1-17 (Below)

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with that person.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ 8 The wind 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.” 9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? 11 “Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen, yet you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17 “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him.

REFLECTION
The origin of place names is often fascinating. Founded in 1877 by freed slaves from Kentucky, Nicodemus, Kansas was named for the biblical character in today’s Gospel. They saw the community as a “new birth,” hence the name. Nicodemus is an intriguing character. He appears in John, but not the other three Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). We meet him three times: the initial encounter with Jesus in John 3, the second time in John 7 when he defends Jesus among the Pharisees, and the third time in John 19 when he joins Joseph of Arimathea in taking Christ’s body to the tomb post crucifixion. Who was this guy and what should we know about him? 

Nicodemus was a Pharisee and therefore steeped in Jewish law and tradition. He came to visit Jesus at night, perhaps for fear of being seen with him. We must respect his desire to understand all the noise surrounding Jesus. He acknowledges Christ’s divine connection, but struggles with Jesus’ discussion of being “born again.” This idea does not fit with Nicodemus’ religious understanding and you can feel the tension that he is having throughout the exchange. Perhaps this is an example of how religion itself can become a form of idolatry. In a conversation with Pastor Jen this week, she put me on to the word “religiosity” — the idea that we can become excessively devoted to the outward trappings and practices of religion, so much so that they replace our authentic faith in God and distract us from focusing on Christ. Indeed, this may be one of the most common violations of the First Commandment (“You shall have no other gods”).

Nicodemus questioned the notion of being born again, in part, because it did not fit with his logical understanding of the world and his faith practices. Jesus, however, was ushering in a new reality and breaking the bonds of conventional Judaism. We know from the later references to Nicodemus that he was dramatically changed by this encounter and came to see Jesus as the Son of God. Perhaps we can see ourselves in him.

The most famous verse in this Gospel is John 3:16, one of the most often quoted verses from scripture. It seems straightforward — believe in Jesus and be saved. As Lutherans, however, we need to remember that we are saved by grace and not our own actions — it is not “up to us.” Indeed, we need to read 3:16 and 17 together, and verse 17 challenges us mightily every day! God entered humanity through his Son, not to condemn but to save “the world” — all of humanity. Jennifer Chrien, Senior Pastor at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Camarillo, California, puts it this way: God so loved the whole world—loved you, sitting in the pews today. Loved your family, your friends, your neighbors. Loved the people who used to come to church but don’t anymore. Loved the people who were hurt by the church or lost their faith. Loved the people who have never darkened the door of a church. Loved the people who are hungry, and the people who feed the hungry, and the people who don’t care about the hungry as much as they should. Loved our brothers and sisters who are Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, or Sikh—and not on the provision that they accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. God loves all of it, all of us. 

Beautiful words and Amen!

One other personal note about this week’s readings: Psalm 121 is my favorite. It is known as the “The Traveler’s Psalm” and I commend it to your reading this week. My father requested this Psalm for his funeral. He liked to say of this life, “we’re all just traveling through.” I learned after his death, that it had been read at his father’s funeral as well. It is a “tie that binds.”

Rykken

PRAYER (inspired by Nicodemus)
Heavenly Father, In the story of Nicodemus you show us what it means to have a teachable spirit and open mind. We pray for that same attitude as we explore your word. Remind us that we need your guidance to achieve understanding and help us to stay the course. Amen.

The image here is “The Entombment with Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea” by Pietro Perugino, c. 1495 (source: Wikicommons).

 

 

And, a bit of Lutheran humor for you today. This comes from the book, “You Know You Are a Lutheran If . . .” by Janet Letnes Martin and Suzann (Johnson) Nelson:

“You know you are a Lutheran if . . You wholeheartedly believe in the cardinal rule: Lutherans don’t sit in the front two pews!”

“You know you are Lutheran if . . . You still, under your breath, say ‘Holy Christian Church’ when the LBW clearly states ‘holy catholic church.'”

It’s good for us to laugh at ourselves!    

 

 

Faithful Conversations #2

The Temptation of Jesus

Readings:
Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7
Psalm 32
Romans 5:12-19
Matthew 4:1-11 (Below)

            Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ²He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. ³The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” ⁴But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” ⁵Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, ⁶saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” ⁷Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” ⁸Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; ⁹and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” ¹⁰Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” ¹¹Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

REFLECTION:
Today is Ash Wednesday, meaning we are 46 days from Easter (40 days not counting Sundays). Lent is a time of deep reflection for Christians across the globe as we prepare to walk through the events of Holy Week leading to our celebration of Jesus’ resurrection.

The Gospel for this Sunday focuses on the story of Jesus confronting the Devil and being tempted three times in the wilderness during a 40-day fast. Interestingly, this comes immediately after his baptism by John, a powerful moment in which God identifies Jesus as his “Son, the Beloved.” The temptation story comes in like an immediate test of how Christ will handle that identity, and the Devil engages Jesus at a vulnerable moment, in the midst of a fast.

As a 21st Century Christian, I often struggle with the concept of evil, but the striking presence and reality of the Devil are hard to miss in this story — a good reminder of the cosmic struggle between good and evil in our world (the Devil is also present in the Old Testament reading for this Sunday). Our spiritual ancestor, Martin Luther, wrote a good deal about the devil and there is no doubt that Luther saw our struggle over the “forces of evil” as central in our personal and public lives. Luther used the word Anfechtung to describe “despair” which he viewed as temptation — something he surely experienced in his life. One of Luther’s biographers, Roland Bainton, defined Anfechtung this way: “a trial sent by God to test man, or an assault by the Devil to destroy man. It is all the doubt, turmoil, pang, tremor, panic, despair, desolation, and desperation which invade the spirit of a man.” Wow! That sounds like an apt description for much of what is afflicting humankind in 2023, doesn’t it? As he did with Jesus, the Devil steps and appeals to us when we are most vulnerable.

Luther believed that we must approach this struggle, this test, with constant prayer. In his Small Catechism (written in 1529 for the education of children), Luther said this in his explanation of the 6th petition of the Lord’s prayer (“And lead us not into temptation” or “save us from the time of trial”): “God indeed tempts no one; but we pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us, that the devil, the world, and our flesh may not deceive us, nor lead us into misbelief, despair, and other shameful sin and vice; and, though we be thus tempted, that we may still in the end overcome, and hold the victory.”

One final thought: I’m intrigued by verse 11: Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him. Angels — messengers from God — show up numerous times throughout the scriptures and attend to Jesus on several occasions (I want to study that more). Psalm 91, referred to as the “Soldier’s Psalm” was one of Luther’s favorites, and verse 11 is applicable here: “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” We are never alone when confronting the Devil.

Rykken

PRAYER:
Lord Jesus Christ, May we follow the example of Jesus in the wilderness when confronting temptations and despair in our lives.  Help us to stay steadfast in prayer and may holy Angels attend to us in our vulnerable moments.  Strengthen us in our weakness and help us to confront evil with clear thinking and the confidence that comes from our faith in you. Amen.

 

 

 

 

Faithful Conversations #1

The Transfiguration of our Lord

Readings:
Exodus 24: 12-18
Psalm 2 or Psalm 99
2 Peter 1: 16-21
Matthew 17: 1-9 (Below)

17 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. ² And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became bright as light. ³ Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. ⁴ Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will set up three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” ⁵ While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” ⁶ When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. ⁷ But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” ⁸ And when they raised their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. ⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

REFLECTION:
Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a high mountain and the three Apostles had what could only be described as a “mind-blowing” experience. The presence of Moses (representing the Law) and Elijah (representing the Prophets) would certainly have been meaningful for these three men, steeped as they were in the knowledge of the Old Testament. Peter was so overwhelmed he wanted to stay there (“I will set up three tents”).  But, notice that God spoke directly to them and put the attention on Jesus Christ (“listen to Him!”). Moses and Elijah were no longer visible to them — just Christ shining brightly! Ultimately, they had to come down from the mountain and engage in the world once again. They did so, however, changed from their experience. In 2 Peter, 1: 19, we have that beautiful commentary on the Transfiguration: “You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”

Rykken

PRAYER:
Lord Jesus Christ, Help us carry the vision of the Transfiguration in our hearts this day, as a lamp shining in a dark place. Though we would like to stay on the mountain, give us the courage to walk into the world and be a light to those around us. In your name we pray, Amen.