| I am currently reading a trilogy
of books written by a 50 year old woman. With her husband she
has raised two sons, both of whom are now married. This woman
has always
done what others expected of her and has always sought to please
others and win their approval. In the process she has lost her
own identity. When her husband announces he is taking a new job
in a distant place she declares she is not going with him. Rather
she intends to spend time by herself at their Cape Cod cottage.
She intends, she declares, to discover who she really is.
This loss of identity happens to both women and men. Most of
us don't have the means or the bravery to just take off
for an extended period. Nevertheless, it is vital for most people
to
know who they are and to be who they are. Some are content to
allow their relationships and their roles in life to provide
much of
their definition. Others need to make that discovery apart from
these things.
My guess is that Nicodemus was one who, for much of his life,
allowed his Jewish religious upbringing determine who he was
and what he
did. However, at some point, it wasn't enough and he became
restless wanting to move outside his prearranged parameters.
He was aware of the risk of challenging the standards he and
his colleagues
perpetuated. He knew he needed some freshness to a faith and
a way of life that no longer held meaning for him. My guess is
many
of us feel the same thing at some point in our lives.
Most, however, are slow to do anything about it. It is easier
to hang onto the familiar even if it isn't satisfying.
There are things that sometimes force us to take a new look.
We can lose
our job or our spouse. We may have a dramatic health change or
a near-death experience. In nature we see this happen with fires,
floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes and the like.
The fires at Yellowstone Park a decade or so ago were devastating.
When they ended all one could see was black, chalky ash for acres
and acres. However, beneath the ash were seeds for a new beginning.
Within months new plants appeared. Then wildlife reappeared and
it was as if the region had been recreated.
Human beings can become overgrown with rules, regulations and
responsibilities to the point that the very life-breath of God
is taken from us.
This can happen to individuals and to institutions and even nations.
We can forget who we are and what we are created to be and do.
In some instances we have never really known because we became
trapped before we were ever set free. Any attempts to free us
were met with rationalizations, excuses, apathy and fear.
When Nicodemus saw and heard Jesus something inside him caused
him to believe Jesus had whatever was missing in his life. Unlike
the other disciples who were looking for a Messiah to be a warrior-king,
I think Nicodemus was looking for much more. I think he was seeking
something that would give his life meaning; meaning that had
eluded him as he strictly followed the Law—both God's
and many others created by men like himself.
I wonder as we gather this morning where people are on this
continuum. Have some not lived long enough to grow dissatisfied?
Are others
so busy chasing after something they think is important that
they haven't yet paused to evaluate? Have others just given
up and are now accepting whatever they have as all fate will
permit
them? Are there some who are discovering themselves and are enjoying
what they are finding?
Jesus sensed what was missing in the life of Nicodemus was
an ability to live in God's Kingdom rather than the man-made
one Nicodemus knew. Values and priorities needed to be rearranged.
The understanding
and use of power had to have new meanings. Relationships with
others and with God had to be seen in a new way.
What Jesus was trying to tell Nicodemus is a truth for the
ages including this very moment. One has to understand and accept
that it is the Spirit of God who gives us life and meaning. It
is the
Spirit of God who gives us understanding. It is the Spirit of
God who enables us to see ourselves, others and God differently.
Man
does not define creation or the creatures. God does.
Only Jesus has fully seen and understood God. It has always
been the work of Jesus to reveal that truth to us. Each of us
must
determine whether or not we want to experience what Jesus invites
us to share—life
in God's world which is different from the world into which
we have been born—a world shaped by mere mortals. Like
the author of the books I am reading, many people allow all kinds
of forces to determine who they are rather than understanding
and accepting that it is the Holy Spirit of God who provides
this definition
by helping us understand the Truth of Jesus' teachings.
When we look at the stories of individuals in the New Testament,
we essentially see two basic responses to the new life and beginning
God offers people in Jesus. First, there are those like the Pharisees
who are trapped by their minds. They have thought the same way
for so long they cannot bring themselves to believe there is
some greater truth. There are those like the rich, young man
who thought
he wanted to follow Jesus. When informed that to do so would
mean a dramatic change in his priorities he was unable to make
the transition
because he could not bring himself to trust something new.
The second group includes those who are able to admit they
have aspirations for something different from what life has brought
them thus far. These are the ones who sense God intends more
for them than they have already experienced. What they are seeking
has little to do with power, position or material goods. It has
everything to do with how they see and feel about themselves
and
others including God.
These are the ones who realize that real life, intimacy, selfhood
and relationship are discovered in the life and love God provides
which are to be shared with God and each other.
Nicodemus didn't get it the first night he talked with
Jesus. He had a lot of history to overcome. However, he stayed
with it
and so did the Holy Spirit. In time Nicodemus discovered who
he was as a creation of God. I invite you this morning to look
for
that same discovery in your own life and to not be afraid to
take the steps that will lead you to it. |
