Second Sunday in Lent
Readings — Genesis 12:1-4a; Psalm 121; Romans 4:1-5,13-17; John 3:1-17
In the midst of first century ancient Israel, the Jews were feuding among themselves. The temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed in 70 by the Roman legions. And in synagogue after synagogue that grief was compounded by this man, Jesus, crucified for sure, yet by many thought to have been raised from the dead. Were the followers of the Way of Jesus still Jews and part of the People of God, or were they to be thrown out of the synagogues, shunned as enemies of the true faith?
In this environment, the Gospel according to St. Matthew and the Gospel according to St. John were composed. St. Matthew emphasized the Jewishness of Jesus with the Sermon on the Mount, shaped by the story of Moses descending from the mountain top with the ten commandments. St. John took another approach, using themes of darkness and light, and introducing texts unknown to St. Matthew, St. Mark, and St. Luke.
Today’s text concerning Nicodemus is unique, found only in the Gospel according to St. John, with elements of dark and light woven in. Nicodemus came at night to question Jesus. Nicodemus appeared, after nightfall, at the Maundy Thursday trial of Jesus among the chief priests and Pharisees. Then, following the crucifixion, Nicodemus again appeared with Joseph of Arimathea, publicly, in daylight, to request of Pilot, the body of Jesus. To the burial, he brought one hundred pounds of spices. Nicodemus and Joseph then buried Jesus according to the Jewish rites. The new tomb in the garden, where the body of Jesus was placed, is thought to be the tomb of Nicodemus. Some scholars even suggest that Nicodemus may have been a member of a Jerusalem synagogue that later recognized Jesus as the Risen Messiah.
Now let’s turn to the last two lines of our Gospel text.
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. 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.
These powerful words are not only addressed to Nicodemus; they are addressed to all. Our loving God gave Jesus to us. God’s generosity was unmerited and undeserved. We did not earn Jesus, the awesome Gift of God, for the People of God.
The Gift of God for the People of God was so that “everyone who believes in him may not perish, but may have eternal life”. As stated, this eternal life is to be enjoyed during our earthly lifetime. Eternal life, Shalom, Peace, Blessed Life is for the People of God, here and now, and to be fully enjoyed in the life to come.
One word appears four times in these two sentences, “the world”, in Greek, cosmos. To a first-century Jew, in a time of conflict, “the world” was the enemy; it was composed of people outside the faith, composed of “outsiders”. A first-century Jew would have heard these two verses something like this — For God so loved [the outsiders] … Indeed, God did not send the Son to [the outsiders] to condemn [the outsiders], but so that [the outsiders] might be saved through [Jesus].
The temple destroyed, synagogues in conflict, St. John turned upside down the existing allegiances, and said — Jesus is the gift of God to the outsiders (as well as to us). To the outsiders God gave his Son, so that they may have eternal life, so that they may have shalom, so that they may have peace, so that they may be blessed.
We, the current-day people of God, hear that same proclamation. The People of Jesus, the Risen Body of Jesus, you and I, are to share the Gifts of God with the cosmos, with those who need to experience eternal life, shalom, peace, blessing.
A final word from my own personal experience – the more we share with the cosmos, the more we share with “the outsiders”, the more we ourselves have, here and now, eternal life, shalom, peace, and blessing. Extend, give eternal life, give shalom, give peace, give blessing, and then receive eternal life, receive shalom, receive peace, receive blessing.
Amen
