Lenten Devotional - Day Seven

Scripture: John 3:1-7

“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 apart from the presence of God.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’" (John 3:2-3)

  You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’”

  Nicodemus the Pharisee sneaks to see to Jesus under the cover of night, presumably afraid that he would be criticized for doing so. Once he finds Jesus he ends up very confused by the things that Jesus is saying. In fact, Nicodemus and Jesus seem to be having two different conversations. Jesus talks about being born again at a spiritual level while Nicodemus is literally trying to figure out how to re-enter a womb. They are speaking different languages!

  I suspect this is how it must feel for people who walk into a church for the first time. Like Nicodemus they are intrigued by Jesus, but they have no idea what to expect in church. They may sneak because friends or family may criticize them. But they risk it because they know there is something special about what Jesus can offer.

  Then they get inside a church and it all gets confusing. People start reciting things from memory and using words they don’t understand. Rather than feeling like a safe place, a refuge, it feels like yet another foreign place.

  But the good news is that even in the most traditional churches, those with high liturgy and organs or old songs or “thees” and “thous” point to something that is beyond. They point to the love of Christ.

  Nicodemus didn’t let his confusion keep him away permanently. He watched Jesus from afar and in the end helped in his burial. I suspect that it’s because even though he couldn’t understand what Jesus was saying, he could still feel the love of God in Christ in a way that went beyond words.

  That leads me to wonder how we can minister in a way that goes beyond our “foreign” ways. What can we do to make sure people sense the love of Christ despite the traditions of the church? How can we make our words and our actions reflect the Good News of Jesus Christ for people who don’t speak our church language? 

Sue Washburn, Contributor

Remember in Prayer: Individuals afraid to approach others and ask the questions which need asked for their re-birth to begin.

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