During Advent we are looking at individual's encounters with Jesus. This week we heard the story of Nicodemus from John 3. Nicodemus was the Pharisee who came to visit Jesus in the dark. Nic gets beaten up pretty good in most commentaries for his late night visit to talk with Jesus. Most commentaries point in the direction that Nic didn't want to be spotted talking to that radical Jesus. I tend to take a more realistic view of Nicodemus. Maybe he worked days and didn't have the freedom to leave his desk at the Temple to go and have theological debates with some rural Rabbi from Galilee. Maybe, to use modern day "church growth" language he was a seeker. He had heard some of Jesus' teachings but he wanted to learn more. Maybe what Nic was looking for was some kind of Spiritual Awakening. However instead he hears from Jesus that he "must be born again" if he wants to see the Kingdom of God.
In Recovery, the AA Big Book says that a person needs to have a Spiritual Awakening in order to be able to turn their life and their will over to the care of God. After a closer read of the Big Book it seems that the author uses the terms Spiritual Experience and Spiritual Awakening interchangeably. To quote the Big Book: "The terms "spiritual experience" and "spiritual awakening" are used many times in this book which, upon careful reading, show that the personality change sufficient to bring about recovery from alcoholism has manifested itself among us in many different forms." People who are early in their recovery often think that they need a burning bush type of Spiritual Awakening, and when these type of Halleluiah - seeing Jesus' face in your iron or pancake doesn't happen, they feel disappointed.
Reality is - most Spiritual Awakenings come slowly with God speaking to us in whispers, not with shouts from a burning bush. God most often works slowly, guiding us in our spiritual life. I think this is what is going on with our buddy Nic. Nic knew Jesus was special but still wasn't sure. I think with Jesus, Nic was experiencing a Spiritual Experience but wasn't to the point where he was willing to become a follower of Jesus.
Following John 3 we encounter Nic again in John 7:50-51. Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked, 51'Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?' They replied, 'Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee.' Here Nic is coming to the defense, in a timid kind of way of Jesus, but yet he is still unsure of how deep he should get involved.
Then finally, in John 19 we see Nic joined with Joseph of Arimathea to bury Jesus. This time Nic's appearance is in broad daylight, no longer in the dead of night. I am guessing that, in witnessing the trial and death of Jesus, Nic had his Spiritual Awakening.
Regardless of what we call it, experience or awakening, to get a good start on the road to recovery, or a life following Jesus, we need to have our own Spiritual Awakening, which will open up for us a life of Spiritual Experiences!
See you next Sunday
No comments:
Post a Comment