are you willing to be a beginner?

Shalom Mennonite Church

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Lent 2: Becoming Human: Shaped by New Birth

Text: John 3:1-17

Eric Massanari

“are you willing to be a beginner?”

Nicodemus the Pharisee appears three times in

in the gospel of John, and this is the only

gospel in which we meet him.

The second time he appears on stage

he is with a group of Jewish leaders,

and he will plead to his brethren

for a fair treatment of Jesus. (John 7:50-52)

The third appearance is at the very end of the gospel where

Nicodemus will help prepare Jesus' body for burial. (John 19:38-42)

In this first appearance he is alone, and it is night.

And in his conversation with Jesus we find

what have become fundamental expressions of Christian faith:

You must be born from above.

[or, more popularly stated: “you must be born again”]

and

For God so loved the world that God gave

her only begotten son, that whosoever believes

in him will not perish but will have eternal life.

These messages to Nicodemus have been

repeated so often through the centuries,

given so many layers of meaning,

and, in some cases, been so fervently grasped,

that it might be difficult for us to really hear what it is

Jesus is saying to his nocturnal visitor.

So, I want to change the language of Jesus' words just a bit,

hopefully in a way that stays true to his message.

I would suggest that at the heart of Jesus'

message to Nicodemus is this question:

“Nicodemus, are you willing to be a beginner?”

Notice that Nicodemus' first words to Jesus are not a question

but an answer, a defining statement about Jesus:

“Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God,

for no one can do the things you do apart from God.”

Notice the language of “we.”

“We know.”

It's the language of experts, the language that

we sometimes use when we want to assert authority

and show that we know something important.

We appeal to a collective authority

who agrees with and backs up whatever it is we are asserting.

“Well, you know, they say that . . .”

“We are all in agreement that . . .”

“I think I can speak for everyone here that . . .”

Nicodemus apparently thinks he has Jesus figured out.

Ane yet, here he is, at night, apparently

still needing to check his answers

and see if they are indeed correct.

Something in him seems to be curious.

As usual, Jesus is not terribly direct.

And his response may amount to something like:

Nicodemus, are you willing to be a beginner?

Are you able to allow God to begin something new within you?

And what will it cost you to be a beginner again?

What will you have to let go of?

It is not a simple thing to be a beginner.

Certainly not in an age and culture such as ours

that celebrates exemplary achievement,

well-practiced productivity, and knowledgeable authority.

We elevate the ones who have the answers.

To be a beginner is not celebrated.

One is not supposed to linger long in beginner status.

And the Christianity that has

taken shape in this age and culture bears its imprint.

We have a difficult time admitting

that we may not have it all right,

that we still ask questions in the night,

that we stand before the mystery of our faith,

that we have much to learn from those who are different.

We are impatient to get it figured out,

and eager to be sure we have it right.

It's a crazy and mixed up world and

it feels much better when we think

we've got a handle on things.

And Jesus would likely ask many of us in the church today

the same thing he appears to have asked

the well-meaning, earnest, faithful Pharisee

who wanted to double-check his answers

and see if they were correct.

Are you willing to be a beginner?

What will it cost you to be a beginner?