Born of water and spirit

Today we have a Pharisee, Nicodemus sneaking over to see Jesus in the cover of the night. But why? Who were the Pharisees.  Besides the accounts in Mathew when Jesus throws at them the seven woes, as Christians, we do not hear much about them.

Matt 23:31-33 "Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' guilt. Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?"

 Matt 23:13 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in."

So, who were these Pharisees?

Per that font of wisdom Wikipedia; “The Pharisees /ˈfærəˌsiːz/ were at various times a political party, a social movement, and a school of thought in the Holy Land during the time of Second Temple Judaism. After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, Pharisaic beliefs became the foundational, liturgical and ritualistic basis for Rabbinic Judaism.”[1]

As we hear throughout the Gospels there are two major groups, the Pharisees and the Sadducees. There were conflicts between the Pharisees and the Sadducees one, the Sadducees were more Hellenistic or Greek allowing only for the written law with Greek philosophy, while the Pharisees honored Oral history of the Torah, the prophets, and the writings as well and they supported the belief of the resurrection of the dead.

“During the start of His ministry the body of Pharisees would have been interested to hear what Jesus had to say. They were interested to hear what any teacher in Israel had to say. The problem that they had with Jesus was His monumental claims and the authority in which He spoke. No man had ever spoken like this man, and no man had ever won the favor of the masses so quickly and so thoroughly. He even went so far as to claim that He was the very reason for Torah and the fulfillment of it. Their opposition against him grew to the point that they had plotted His death. When Jesus was to be arrested, the Pharisees were among those that came to take Him away:”[2]

John 18:2-3 "Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons"

So why Let this Pharisee in?  Why have an audience with him?  Well for one we know Jesus believed in the teachings of the Pharisees.

Matt 23:1-4 "Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. Therefore, whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.”

Jesus’ problem with the Pharisees is that they were hypocrites however, as in any group, not all were hypocrites and some were very good men.

“It is also important to note that all of the Pharisees were not like those described in Matthew 23. The gospels contain references to Pharisees who were admirable men. Nicodemus is an excellent example of what a Pharisee ought to have been. He was genuinely a seeker of truth (John 3:1 ff.) (Todays reading), spoke out for justice on behalf of Jesus (John 7:50) [i.e. Here Nicodemus ask the others to hear Jesus out before condemning him], and remained a follower of Jesus even after the disciples had fallen away (John 19:39) [i.e. when Nicodemus brings herbs and aloe to the tomb].

Joseph of Arimathea was a member of the Sanhedrin and he looked for the kingdom of God (Mark 15:43), he was almost certainly a Pharisee, he also did not consent to the decision to do away with Jesus (Luke 23:51) [i.e. in Luke he disagrees with the Pharisees decision]. He was a disciple of Jesus "secretly, for fear of the Jews" (John 19:38) and he made final provisions for the body of Jesus.

There were no doubt many such Pharisees who believed in Jesus, yet probably secretly. Even those who were not necessarily believers could display admirable traits: Gamaliel argued for open-mindedness (Acts 5:34 ff.); others warned Jesus of an attempt on His life: Luke 13:30-31 "On that very day some Pharisees came, saying to Him, "Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You."[3]

In Luke, there are at least three separate occasions in which Jesus dines at a Pharisees home.

So, in this conversation we hear Jesus tell Nicodemus that he must be born from above or anew.  The issue here is Jesus seems to be saying one thing and Nicodemus is understanding another thing.  But the Greek word used in the line has two meanings.  Even in our language today being born “anew” would not make us jump to the conclusion that one means for us to be being physically born again.  But this confusion and this statement may be part of Johns intent.

And then, according to the seven times Journal; “Jesus' reply seems unrelated to Nicodemus' statement. Why did He respond in this way?

According to some commentators, Jesus' response was to Nicodemus' inability to "see" beyond a certain point. The Pharisee was willing to acknowledge that Jesus was "a teacher come from God," but was not willing to accept Him as the Messiah, the Savior of the world, the Son of God.

Thus, Nicodemus was unable to "see," or experience, the operation of the Kingdom. He had only seen a visible sign, but was unable to "see," with spiritual perception, the invisible Kingdom of God.”[4]

I believe Jesus is trying to get the Pharisee, Nicodemus, to move beyond his tradition to move past a practical theology and into a spiritual, more esoteric way of viewing life. A new way of being in the world.

I like the way Jesus explains it in the message Bible;

“5-6 Jesus said, “You’re not listening. Let me say it again. Unless a person submits to this original creation—the ‘wind-hovering-over-the-water’ creation, the invisible moving the visible, a baptism into a new life—it’s not possible to enter God’s kingdom. When you look at a baby, it’s just that: a body you can look at and touch. But the person who takes shape within is formed by something you can’t see and touch—the Spirit—and becomes a living spirit.”[5]

“We are spiritual beings having a human experience” I am sure you may have heard this said before.  Dr. Wayne dryer likes to quote it and attribute it to de Chardin but there is no proof that Chardin ever actually said it.  But that is beside the point.  The point is we are spiritual beings and we must renew ourselves make ourselves anew by spirit.

So how does one go about making oneself anew to be born from above?  Prayer and practice!  Just look at Christ’s ministry it is all prayer and practice. If he is not teaching us how to be in the world if he is not leading either by example or parable then he is teaching us to pray or going off to pray.

Richard Rohr reminds us that “Jesus’s own style of teaching in stories, parables, and enigmatic sayings was undoubtedly learned in his own prayer practices.  He clearly operated from a consciousness different from that of the masses and even that of the religious leaders who largely fought him.  Most seemed to misunderstand him, or even ignore him, despite what seem to be astounding healing and miracles.”[6]

Even Nicodemus who sought out the teacher still confused what Jesus was trying to say so that Jesus had to explain it again.

We often tend to focus on Jesus’ miracles but Jesus had a strong prayer life. “Jesus himself seemed to prefer a prayer of quiet, something more than social, liturgical, or verbal prayer, which is mentioned only a very few times.  What we do hear are frequent references such as ‘In the morning, long before dawn, he got up and left the house and went off to a lonely place to pray.’ (Mark 1:35; also in Matthew 14:23 and Mark 1:12-13) Luke describes him as praying privately before almost all major events. There are the forty days alone in the desert, which means he must have missed the family-based Sabbath observances and the public temple services.  And of course, there is his final prayer alone in the Garden of Gethsemane.”[7]

Richard Rohr Points out that Jesus taught us “You should go to your private room, shut the door, and pray to your Creator who is in that secret place.” (Matthew 6:6)  This is again rather explicit and also intimately invitational, especially because most homes of his people would have had no such thing as a private room.”[3]

But some people Caught what Jesus was teaching, he was teaching of seeking a quiet place.  This quiet private space does not need to be physical.  It can be spiritual, it can be done in group much as it is done here today.

“We need no wings to go in search of

God, but have only to find a place where we

can be alone and look upon Him present

within us.” These words were written by St.

Teresa of Avila in her book The Way of

Perfection”[8]

One way to look upon God present within us is to sit quietly, breathe slowly and focus on a word or phrase from the Bible.  Allow whatever calls to you maybe in the daily reading or through the ancient practice of Bible roulette.  Sit with the phrase or word for just 5 minutes in the morning, do it again 5 minutes somewhere in your lunch hour and again at the end of the day.  This is one way you stay connected to the spirit of God.  You stay washed anew from above.

Maybe you’re a person who needs something more concrete more rigorous.  There is the liturgy of the hours.

“The Liturgy of the hours consists of;

Matins (during the night, at midnight with some); also called Vigils or Nocturns or, in monastic usage, the Night Office

Lauds or Dawn Prayer (at Dawn, or 3 a.m.)

Prime or Early Morning Prayer (First Hour = approximately 6 a.m.)

Terce or Mid-Morning Prayer (Third Hour = approximately 9 a.m.)

Sext or Midday Prayer (Sixth Hour = approximately 12 noon)

None or Mid-Afternoon Prayer (Ninth Hour = approximately 3 p.m.)

Vespers or Evening Prayer ("at the lighting of the lamps", generally at 6 p.m.)

Compline or Night Prayer (before retiring, generally at 9 p.m.)

This arrangement of the Liturgy of the Hours is attributed to Saint Benedict. However, it is found in Saint John Cassian's Institutes and Conferences,[12] which describe the monastic practices of the Desert Fathers of Egypt.

You can see if you are living a monastic life in community with this schedule Christ and God are always in your heart and on your mind.  For the average me, I mean the average Joe, this is a bit umm shall we say tight.

But there are lighter versions around such as the divine hours as interpreted by Phyllis Tickle there are four books for each of the seasons and a special book for Christmas time.  They consist of prayers listed day by day with morning, midday, and vespers, now if you are really disciplined there is also an order to be recited right before bed.

The concept for those who practice the hours is that all over the world there are Christians everywhere praying all the time the same psalms and songs and prayers.  There is the universal connection to the other and each other.  The problem still is this is a much-disciplined practice and very difficult for those who live normal everyday first world lives.”[9]

There are many, many ways to keep yourself refreshed and anew.  There are many ways to seek out the connection from above.  You are called to do so.  We as Christians are called to do so.  We are called to take time on the Sabbath, we are called to walk the path, the way of Christ and in that way we are called to be born anew in the spirit daily.

For some that may mean a walk on a quite path, for others that may mean doing something artistic creative and yet highly focused.  For others, it may be chanting or meditating.  Still for others it may be dancing.

I would encourage any and all to seek out a retreat for yourself some quiet time that is just between you and God.  Perhaps you need to journey with someone to talk out your spiritual needs?  I also strongly support the concept of having a spiritual companion, friend, spiritual director.  This is a person professionally trained to walk with someone on their spiritual journey.  They are there to help you notice the all the richness of the path you are on.

I encourage you to seek out a spiritual practice that works for you. The season of lent is always a great time to do this.  Instead of giving something up one can take on a spiritual practice. It is a way to seek to be born anew, form above, everyday. May God continue to bless us as we continue our spiritual journey amen!

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[1] wikipedia, The Pharisees, February 27, 2017, accessed March 6, 2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharisees.

[2] Bible History Online, Jesus and the Pharisees, 2016, accessed March 6, 2017, http://www.bible-history.com/pharisees/PHARISEESJesus_and_the_Pharisees.htm.

[3] Bible History Online, Jesus and the Pharisees, 2016, accessed March 6, 2017, http://www.bible-history.com/pharisees/PHARISEESJesus_and_the_Pharisees.htm.

[4] Vance A. Stinson, "Born From Above" ... Or ... "Born Again?,” 2012, accessed March 7, 2017, http://7times.org/newsletter/bornagain.shtml.

[5] Eugene H. Peterson, The Message Remix: (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2003), 1929.

[6] Richard Rohr, The Naked Now: Learning to See as the Mystics See (New York: Crossroad Pub., 2009).

[7] Ibid.

[8] Joseph Shore-Goss, The Persistent Widow's call to us...Pray Constantly, October 24, 2016, accessed March 7, 2017, http://revjoeshore.blogspot.com/search?q=prayer.

[9] Joseph Shore-Goss, They will produce Much fruit, May 10, 2015, accessed March 7, 2017, http://revjoeshore.blogspot.com/2015/05/john-15-1-8-then-you-will-produce-much_10.html.

OOOH, The humanity!

Fred Craddock shares this story;

“I began my ministry in Appalachia. The majority of the congregation served could not read and write. I appointed myself, while I was there, economic adviser.  These people lived in what the government called a ‘Pocket of Poverty.’ Very small incomes. They got those little checks, those measly little checks, and invariably spent part of it buying flowers, or whatnots to hang on the wall, or baubles of some sort. I would argue with those people. I’d say, ‘Look, why should roses and petunias cover the ground when you could plant potatoes and onions and feed your kids?’ So impractical. So impractical, the little trinkets on the wall, and those beads, and there’s a man with a little thing hanging down from his bib overalls on his chain. It cost him three dollars - It’s nothing, it’s a trinket.

            One day I was fussing at Miss Glover. She didn’t have the money, and there she was with some little something; you couldn’t eat it, you couldn’t play with it, you couldn’t do anything but look at it. And I said, ‘Miss Glover, it’s a waste. You can’t afford that!’ She looked at me and said, ‘Brother Craddock, everybody’s got to have some pretties.’ Now you would say it another way, but if your understanding of human nature is the being who traces the course of the stars, thinks the thoughts of God after God, understands the Pleiades, sings, dances, writes poetry and music, then she’s right for you too. Everybody’s got to have some pretties. Once in a while, pretty rare I must admit, I would have a phrase or a line in one of my sermon, and I noticed the people repeating them. I’d go down to the store and somebody would say a line from my sermon. And in conversation, maybe months later, somebody would be saying that line. Why? Because that was the one true thing that I said? It wasn’t because it was true. It was the way it sounded. It was true, but it was the way it sounded.

            I remember what Miss Glover said; ‘Everybody’s got to have some pretties.’ That’s not decoration; that’s not embroidery; that is a fundamental human need. T.S. Eliot said of poetry, ‘Poetry is not simply the assertation of something being true, but the making of that truth more real for all of us.’[1]

Today’s Gospel is about making the truth more real for all of us.  What is that Truth? Jesus is fully human. Today’s Gospel points to Christ’s humanity but in that humanity Christ’s divinity is also affirmed.

“On this first Sunday in Lent, we follow Jesus into the wilderness, and watch as the Son of God confronts the fullness of his humanity.  As Matthew's Gospel describes him, Jesus is "famished" after forty days of fasting. Physically, he's at the end of his strength.  Socially, he's alone and friendless.  Spiritually, he is struggling to hang onto his identity as the glow of his baptism recedes into a hazy, pre-wilderness past.  And it’s in this state of vulnerability that the tempter comes, ready to pull Jesus away from his belovedness, and his vocation.”[2]

We often hear of Jesus being human, and we will speak of it, but, more times than not, it is like, well Jesus is human, but not too human. But here we have Jesus doing something that is very human and very traditional. He is going into the desert to fast and pray. There are various kinds of wilderness fasts practiced by many diverse ancient cultures, including the Hebrew, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Aborigine, and the North and South American Indian. This is not something out of the ordinary for a deeply spiritual person of Jesus’ time or any time really.

So, what does this human Jesus looks like.  Well he has just been baptized in the river Jordan where he saw the spirit of God descend like a dove and come upon him and he heard “a voice from the heaven’s say This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” (Mathew 3:17) Then the Spirit leads him out into the desert for a time of discernment… to be tested by the devil the direct translation reads.  He fasts and prays for a long time, this is literally what the forty days and forty nights means…he is tired, he is hungry, he is open to something, anything, this is a very human show me the way kind of moment…

And so, the tester shows up, “As Matthew tells the story, the devil comes to Jesus in the guise of a brilliant interrogator.  ‘Can you be like God?’ is the savvy question he posed to Adam and Eve in the lushness of the first garden.  ‘Can you take hold of a higher wisdom, a keener knowledge, a more divine humanity?’  

Now he comes to the exhausted Son of God with a shrewd inversion of those primordial questions: ‘Can you be fully human?  Can you abdicate power?  Exercise restraint?  Work in obscurity?  Can you bear the vulnerability of what it means to be weak and mortal and human?’”[3]

“For the first time now, we see Jesus in action, in a kind of single combat with the enemy. He is not quite alone, however, for we are told that the test takes place under the orders of the Holy spirit, and at the end angels emerge from the shadows and look after him. The single combat is clearly won by Jesus, effortlessly matching with the quotations from Deuteronomy (8:3; 6:16; 6:13) to each of the Tester’s suggestions; and notice the devil also quotes scripture (Psalm 91:11, 12). It is a well-crafted story; like all the best stories it comes in three parts, and circles around the question whether or not Jesus is the Son of God. We already know that he is, of course, on the best possible evidence, so what we learn here is the Kind of Son of God that he is: one who does not do selfish magic, who does not put God to the test, and who worships nothing that is not God.”[4]

But the fact that Jesus passes this test, I must emphasize, the kind of Son of God Jesus is, is human.  He is tested by things we can be tested by any day. If I we are engaging in a fast and I know I can just go get some bread and make a midday sandwich…there is the temptation.  I know I can. I know I can get bread, or crackers, or candy anytime I want.  The choice is do we give into temptation or do we stay on our spiritual path.

Ok that’s easy but what about this test to jump. And let Angels catch you? You ever see kids jump off a porch hoping their wish to fly might come true?  Even as adults we sometimes take these leaps or at least are tempted by them.  I know many people who have jumped into things that they had know clue about, often with the false notion I can always depend on so and so or such and such to support me.

You all know I do some fun things with glass. But I did not run out and buy a big kiln and see what happens knowing if I fail, I can always sell the kiln. I mean it is tempting to jump right in but instead I took a simpler steadier path. I started with a small kit for a microwave kiln. I took classes watched instructional videos and I am still learning and am hesitant to invest in expensive equipment till I am sure I know what I am doing.

But this is not the same as being taken to the top of the temple and being told to jump.  Or is it? I mean Jesus does eventually make it to the temple but not before gathering followers and teaching all over the countryside. In Mathew there are some 20 chapters before Jesus’ ministry rides into Jerusalem. I may be over simplifying but this is how this Gospel is touching me today.

Of course, the final temptation…to rule the whole world, is a temptation that none of us will ever see. Though Jesus has turned down the temptation, eventually, as Christianity has spread, as Jesus teachings spread, in this way Jesus kin-dom covered the earth and we know it covers both heaven and earth. But what is the parallel to us?  How is this temptation human?

Perhaps if we look at this way…Jesus is being offered something fantastic all he has to do is compromise his morals. Just a simple act, that takes no effort, would only last a moment and bam, it’s over and he has the world at his feet.

Has anyone been watching the documentary McMillion’s? It’s all about people who were given a winning ticket to the McMillion’s game. They just had to claim it with a unique story and pay a percentage back. They just have to give up a little bit of what was morally right and the prize would be huge and it was.

How many times as human are we asked to compromise our values. We say to ourselves just this once. No one will know the difference and no one gets hurt. It is a very simple temptation. But as Mark’s gospel says; “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” One simple compromise can make the next one easier. All in all, a very human temptation.

One Commentator put it this way; “I have to confess that until fairly recently, I didn't see what the big deal is with the devil's taunts.  Jesus is starving, after all.  Who cares if he zaps a rock or two into bread?  God is supposed to be Jesus' protector after all, an omnipotent commander of legions of angels.  Why is it sinful for a son to call on the protection of his father?  Jesus is the rightful ruler of all the earth's kingdoms, after all.  What’s wrong with him receiving the worship that's his due? 

These days, I read the story differently.  The devil doesn’t come to make Jesus do something ‘bad.’  He comes to make Jesus do what seems entirely reasonable and good — but for all the wrong reasons.  The test is a test of Jesus’s motivations.  A test of his willingness to identify as fully human, even as he is fully God….

(she goes on to reflect a bit further)

 Many of us have “given up” something for Lent this year.  Chocolate, wine, TV, Facebook.  The goal is to sit with our hungers, our wants, our desires — and learn what they have to teach us.  What is the hunger beneath the hunger?  Can we hunger and still live?  Desire and still flourish?  Lack and still live generously, without exploiting the beauty and abundance all around us?  Who and where is God when we are famished for whatever it is, we long for?  Friendship, meaning, intimacy, purpose?  A home, a savings account, a child, a family?

I write these words with trepidation, because I know what it is to let hunger gnarl and embitter me.  Hunger in and of itself is not a virtue, it’s a classroom.  To sit patiently with desire — to become its student — and still embrace my identity as God’s beloved, is hard.  It’s very, very hard.  But this is the invitation.  We can be loved and hungry at the same time.  We can hope and hurt at the same time.  Most of all, we can trust that when God nourishes us, it won’t be by magic. It won’t be manipulative and disrespectful.  It won’t necessarily be the food we’d choose for ourselves, but it will feed us, nevertheless.  And through us — if we will learn to share — it will feed the world.”[5]

Three temptations, all very human, and in his human-ness Jesus chooses to stay true to his calling and who he is. Jesus chooses to remain Hungry and uncomfortable in that moment because that is the journey he is on. Jesus chooses to walk his journey as it is intended to be as difficult as it may be with lessons learned and lessons taught. Jesus does not choose instant Glory but as we know chooses to take his journey right to the cross as a common criminal though he committed no crime.

There is a ripple that runs through this story that often is ignored, the holy Spirit is the one who leads him into the desert just for this test.  Some may hear this as disturbing. God wanted all this for Jesus? But remember I use the word a time a discernment. Discernment is testing, prayerfully trying to understand what has led one to this point and where one must go from there.  The holy spirit was with Jesus through his time just as the holy spirit is with us through any trying time, any good time for that matter.

Even the wildest of places, the most terrible circumstances cannot separate us from God's love!  If we had our way life would be easy, rich and joyful all the time.  We don’t (for the most part) volunteer for pain, loss, danger, or terror.  But life happens.  Whether it comes to us in the guise of a hospital waiting room, a toxic relationship, a troubled child, a sudden death, or an unshakeable depression, Life happens!

 Whether we like it or not we all have a time of wilderness.

All this means is that God is with us through it and, with faith and prayer we may even see the signs of the God among us in those most trying of times and other times it will seem as if we are alone. But it is said that God is as close as our own jugular. And if God is right here (pointing to my Jugular) She may be a bit hard to see.

Lent is an intentional wilderness time.  Time to take our spiritual life and be intentional in seeking God around us and among us.  It is a time to reaffirm our commitment to a spiritual Journey. A commitment to see it through as a journey not a series of individual events. It may be a time of discernment, it may be a time of thanksgiving, and it may be a time of just discovering that God is here with us. Blessing us and walking beside us while we are busy being human. Because the son of God knows what it means to be human and knows the temptations we endure and knows when we fail and knows when we succeed and still walks beside us every day.

Amen!

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[1] Craddock, Fred B., Mike Graves, and Richard F. Ward. Craddock Stories. St. Louis, MO: Chalice Press, 2001. Pg. 80-81

[2] https://www.journeywithjesus.net/lectionary-essays/current-essay

[3] https://www.journeywithjesus.net/lectionary-essays/current-essay

[4] King, Nicholas. The Bible: a Study Bible Freshly Translated by Nicholas King. Stowmarket: Kevin Mayhew Ltd, 2013.

[5] https://www.journeywithjesus.net/lectionary-essays/current-essay