Sermon 30th March 2014

Today, Gill Tayleur, Honorary Assistant Minister,  preaches - based on the reading from John 9: 1-12

THE MAN BORN BLIND

I wonder how you’re getting on with the postcards?! In case you’re new or visiting, this year for Lent we’ve produced a set of postcards, one for each week, with pictures with a variety of artistic styles. The idea is to use them to think about God, about our Sunday Bible readings, and perhaps to pray about those thoughts, even write a prayer on the back of the postcard, if you want to.

The postcard for this week is this one with a man standing on the balcony in the shade, looking out at a brighter street scene. I won’t say any more, as I don’t want to influence your thoughts on it, but one obvious and simple link with our gospel this morning is simply that he’s looking.

Today we’re thinking about what happened when Jesus healed a man who was born blind. We’ve just heard the first 12 verses of the chapter, but in fact the story goes on with what happened after, and takes the whole of this chapter 9.

41 verses are too much to read it all out but let me summarise the plot:

First, as we’ve heard, Jesus and his disciples were walking along, and the disciples asked Jesus a question (more about that in a moment) that led to the man being wonderfully healed by Jesus.

Then we heard his neighbours showing their surprise, and scepticism, asking is this really the same man? And the man himself replied, “yes it’s me alright!”

In the next scene, they took the healed man to the Pharisees and other Jewish authorities who were upset that this had happened on a Sabbath, and then argued about whether or not it was God’s power that had healed the man. They asked the healed man what he thought about the man who healed him, and he replied that Jesus was a prophet. The Jewish authorities didn’t like that answer, and sent for the man’s parents. But the parents were afraid to say what they thought, and said, “Ask our son, he’s old enough to speak for himself!”

So the healed man was called back in. Again he said his healing must have come from God, and the religious leaders got angry at him for saying so.

Finally, in the last scene in this true story, Jesus went and found the man and had a conversation that resulted in the man declaring his belief in Jesus, and worshipping him – and then Jesus’ damning words about the Pharisees and spiritual blindness.

So it’s a long story. And it’s one which well illustrates the growing conflict between Jesus and the religious authorities, a conflict which ultimately led Jesus to his death on the cross. That’s what we’re following in our series this Lent, in order to prepare for Holy Week and Easter. We’re following, we’re accompanying, Jesus’ journey to the cross and today’s story shows the deepening conflict between Jesus and the religious authorities that will ultimately lead to their execution of him. In v 22 we read that the Jewish authorities had already said that anyone who said he believed that Jesus was the Christ would be expelled from the synagogue. The exchanges between Jesus and them in this episode deepen that antagonism, especially with Jesus’ statement that they are spiritually blind, and so we move one step nearer to the culmination of their anger and outrage, one step nearer to Jesus’ death on the cross. And Jesus didn’t avoid it, not at all. He spoke the truth regardless.

So that’s the context, what happened and its consequences. But what can we learn from it? What does this healing of the man born blind, mean for us today? I think we can learn from the disciples, from the Pharisees, and from the man himself. Let’s look at each in turn.

First, what can we learn from the disciples?
In verse 2 they asked Jesus a question about the blind man:

 “who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

It’s the big “why?” question of suffering. Why was he blind? There was, at that time, a viewpoint that would have said the man’s parents must have sinned and having a blind child was their punishment. There was another viewpoint that would have said it was the blind man’s own sin, either because God could foresee the sin he would commit in his life in future, or that he somehow sinned while still in the womb.

Either way, the assumption was – and sometimes is today too, I reckon – that if you’re having a hard life, if things go wrong, if you’re suffering, then you must have done something to deserve it. And if your life is going smoothly, that’s because you deserve that too. This “you reap what you sow” attitude can run deep.

But the assumption that suffering is the result of your sin, is wrong. It’s simply not true to the facts: sometimes good people have very hard lives, and sometimes mean and selfish people have easy lives. But this wrong view can create huge pride in those for whom life is easy; “I’ve got this because I deserve it!” And it can create false guilt in those with particular suffering, “What have I done to deserve this?” Even sometimes, “Am I not being healed because in my sin I don’t have enough faith?”

No, Jesus’ response to the disciples’ question is clear:

 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.”

Jesus’ teaching, and the Genesis account of how sin came into the world, are clear that when the human race turned away from God, everything went wrong. Along with sin, came in suffering, death and all sorts of bad stuff; the whole world was messed up from how God originally designed it to be. [One day he will sort it all out, making a new heaven and earth with no sin or suffering.] And so there is a general sense in which sin causes suffering, but not always at an individual or personal level. Sometimes it does, like when our anger or greed affects others, but not always. It’s true to say that sin in general causes suffering in general, but specific suffering isn’t always caused by specific sin.

Recognising this truth can rid us of doubt and self condemnation when we suffer, and also of pride when our life is going smoothly.

Jesus’ answer to the disciples’ question is that

 “this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

Of course God’s power was seen in the healing of this man born blind. It was an amazing thing to happen, a miracle, and one of the signs that Jesus really was the Messiah, and a sign that we might believe in him.

But this too isn’t a universal principle, that suffering results in God’s power being  displayed, which applies in every single case of suffering. Sometimes it is, but not always.

It is true that sometimes, where suffering is submitted to God, then God’s work is displayed, possibly by a healing or deliverance, as here, or alternatively by a courageous response to the suffering, enabling a discovery of God’s strength in our weakness. There are lots of examples of that in the Bible.

In this short book (130 pages) by American author Philip Yancey, called The Question That Never Goes Away, he says this:

In a survey on spiritual formation that asked thousands of people when they grew most spiritually and what contributed to that growth, the number one contributor was surprising. He says, “It wasn’t preaching or worship services, or small group fellowship, or reading Christian books – it was suffering. ‘People said they grew more during seasons of loss, pain and crisis than they did at any other time.’ We discover the hidden value of suffering only by suffering – NOT as part of God’s original or ultimate plan for us, but as a redemptive transformation that takes place in the midst of trial.”

Sometimes suffering makes us turn to God. But that’s not an answer to the “why?” question. Ultimately there are no proper answers to the “why?”question of suffering.

The Bible doesn’t give us the answers, Jesus doesn’t give us the answers, he simply responds with kindness and compassion to those who suffer. And later suffers himself on the cross, showing beyond doubt that God really does know what it’s like and suffers with us.

Philip Yancey again:

“Virtually every passage on suffering in the New Testament deflects the emphasis from cause to response. Although we cannot grasp the master plan of the universe, which allows for so much evil and pain (the Why? question), we can nevertheless respond in two important ways. First, we can find meaning in the midst of suffering. Second, we can offer real and practical help to those in need.”

Yancey goes on to explore these ideas, in a very helpful way, I think – I recommend the book.

So the disciples teach us something about the no-blame mystery of suffering.

Next, what can we learn from the Pharisees? They were very hostile to Jesus, they didn’t like him healing, especially on the Sabbath, and they certainly didn’t like him calling them blind, at the end of the chapter. Jesus was talking about spiritual blindness.

The healing of the man born physically blind symbolises Jesus’ ability to deal with spiritual blindness. What do I mean by that, spiritual blindness?

Well, we know that sight isn’t always literal. We speak of insight, realisation, or of a lightbulb moment, “I seeeee!” when our understanding of something becomes clear or personal.

We can grasp something intellectually, but understanding it personally is different. There have been things in the past few weeks, that I’ve now understood about grief, personally, that I didn’t have experience of before. I’ve said, I never quite ‘got it’ why people who’ve lost someone did a particular thing, and now I find myself doing that thing. Now it’s part of my own experience. I get it! I see!

And it can be the same with spiritual things. We might not understand them at all, or we might understand them in theory, but not personally. That’s what spiritual blindness is. There are two things in particular that we tend to be spiritually blind to - the reality of our own personal sin, and the reality of God’s personal love and grace.

It’s easy to be blind to our own sin. As the prophet Jeremiah said, “the heart is deceitful above all things”. All too often I don’t want to see my sin, my failings, the ways in which I live with ME at the centre of my life. I’m content to stay blind to them.

But it is possible for our eyes to be opened, spiritually, if we’re willing, so that we see our own sin in a personal way. It becomes real to us, and so do the consequences. We see the corruption of our motives, how much I do and say because I want to feel better about myself, to look good in front of others, to have my own way, to let rip to my feelings at the expense of others, to be lazy, angry, critical, jealous and so on. With spiritual sight, I see that I’m driven by my needs, my fears, my greed, and so on. I get it! I see it! When we have this realisation, when it becomes real to us, that’s spiritual sight or insight. That’s seeing the truth, spiritually.

But it’s only half the truth. There’s another aspect of spiritual sight, that needs to come with the sight of our own personal sin, and that’s the sight of God’s personal love and forgiveness. We ‘get’ this when we look at Jesus on the cross, and recognise that he died there for me. When Jesus was on the cross, the world went dark, physically, perhaps with some sort of eclipse. And Jesus said those words we’re familiar with, “my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus took that darkness, that separation from God, on to himself, for us, in our place, to pay the price or take the consequences of our sin, that inevitably lead to separation and darkness from the all-good, all holy God. Jesus did this, he died, for me! Spiritual sight means we get it! We see it!

Each Good Friday, Trevor and I watch a DVD of the Passion of the Christ. It’s gory, it’s rated an 18 with good reason, so it’s not for everyone, but I find it very upsetting but very helpful to sit and cry my way through it because I know he suffered so terribly for me, for me. It was my sin that nailed him there. That’s how great his love and mercy and forgiveness are - how unspeakably wonderful!

Do you know what I’m talking about?! Have you received from Jesus your spiritual sight? Do you know you have been blind, and still are to some extent? If not, maybe that’s because you are blind!

And there is no greater blindness than being blind to your own blindness! If you know your sight isn’t right, you can go to the doctor to get well, or to the optician for glasses. The worst thing you can do is not admit you have a problem. If you won’t admit you have a problem, you can’t get better, there’s no remedy!

We have to be willing to see it. Sometimes the more brilliant and successful we are, the less easy it may be to see it, to see our sin and our need for God’s grace. It is often suffering or troubles that lead us to turn to God, to cry out to him, to be dependent on him, to recognise our need of him. Not always, but sometimes, as I said earlier.

So how do we have our eyes opened? How do we receive this spiritual sight from Jesus?

That question brings us to what we can learn from the (ex-) blind man, lastly and very briefly. He was physically healed near the beginning of the chapter and story, and at the end of the chapter his spiritual blindness was healed too. In verse 17 he said Jesus was a prophet; in verse 33 that he had come from God. And later on in verse 38 in response to Jesus asking him if he believes in the Son of Man, the man said

 “Lord I believe” and he worshipped him.

When he said “Lord I believe”,

I don’t suppose he understood much theology or could have explained just what it meant that Jesus was the Christ or Son of Man. But he knew that Jesus was worthy of worship, something a Jew would normally never ever offer another man.

So it seems he grew in his faith and spiritual sight, first saying Jesus was a prophet, one from God, and finally the Son of Man and worthy of worship. Often we too come to faith, and spiritual sight, bit by bit, and it’s practising belief, and worshipping, that can facilitate our spiritual sight.

Lord I believe, help my unbelief! With the little bit of faith we can muster, we can ask Jesus to help us see. And he will. It may be we need to see truths, about ourselves, or about God’s love and forgiveness, or it may be other things.

So as we continue our Lenten journey with Jesus toward the cross, how we respond to today’s story of the man born blind will be different for each of us. We can learn from the disciples, the Pharisees and the blind man himself.

Some of us are struggling with suffering, our own, or the suffering of someone we care about.

It may be that we’re crying out with “why?” questions. God, I don’t understand! How can this be happening? However difficult, painful and complex those questions may be, and they may be immensely difficult, immensely painful, and immensely complex,  it might be helpful to focus more on our response to this suffering than on its cause, as the New Testament writers encourage us to do.

Our response might be to bring our suffering to Jesus, knowing his power can heal, as it did for the man born blind. For some of us, this story can strengthen our faith and boldness in praying for that.

Or our response might be to look for meaning in this suffering, to grow through it as we turn to God in our distress.

Or our response might be to look for the ways in which we can help relieve suffering, or otherwise support those going through it.

For others of us, it’s our spiritual blindness that we need to recognise this morning, and we need to ask Jesus to change that, to help us see!

Whoever and wherever we are, let us all fix our eyes on Jesus, and see his fathomless love for each one of us, as we continue through Lent to the cross and on to the resurrection hope that Easter brings.

And now let’s pray:

Sermon 23rd March 2014

Today, the third Sunday in Lent, Honorary Assistant Minister, Ben Hughes, preaches. The reading is from John 4 verses 5-15. 

There is water in this passage so I thought I would start with a quiz!

1) How many times is water analogies mentioned in the Bible?

Greater than 250?

Between 250 and 550 times?

More than 550 times?

Answer: 719 Times (more than faith, hope, prayer or worship are mentioned)

2)    What did God say on day six of his creation?

       Answer: let the waters bring forth streams of living creatures

3)  What does the name Moses mean?

Answer: drawn from water

4)     Where did Moses strike the rock in which water poured forth?

Answer: Horab

5)     In the book of Isaiah, what does the prophet say ‘will spring up by streams of living waters’?

Answer: The Holy spirit which will be like green tamarisk, like willows drinking deep from the stream of living water’

6)     When Jeremiah the prophet referred to Israel as cracked cisterns that would not hold water, what who was he referring?

Answer: The priests and people of Israel who had turned their backs on God

7)     In the book of Amos…what two things roll down like water and pour out like streams?

Answer: Justice and righteousness

8)     Which Gospel mentions water the most?

Answer: John’s Gospel

9)     Why do some churches add water to communion wine?

Answer: It is the sign of eternal life pouring forth from Jesus’ death

10)  How many biblical water metaphors are contained a Christian baptism

Is it 3, 5 0r 7?

Can you name each one?

Answer: creation, blessing, rescue, cleansing, birth, initiation, salvation

So there - Water water everywhere and more than we thought in the Bible!

I will come back to the theme of water and salvation later in the sermon but let us bow our head in prayer:

O Lord who sent your son to save all sinners by taking the path of suffering and rejection…teach us today to be able to bear our own cross and to know that in you we can drink from the deep waters of salvation. Amen

So our third sermon in Lent and we are still travelling with Jesus in the early stages of his public ministry

In the first week we heard from Cameron about Jesus in the wilderness famished and starving but by using the word of God so able to resist the temptations of the devil. Instead of mission over its ‘mission on’!

Last week we heard about Jesus’ late night talk with the Pharisee Nicodemus and leant that Jesus was making it very clear in his up and coming ministry that God’s love was not only for Israel but for the whole world…’God so loved the world that he gave us His only son’..

Today we here with Jesus again and learn from another story early in Jesus public ministry – Jesus meeting the Samaritan Woman by the well.

In that Story and on this morning we learn how Jesus is turning the established view of the Jews on its head and in doing so begins his own journey to the cross.

We also learn that Jesus message of God’s love that Adrian introduced last week that this new message of hope is not just for the men and priests of Israel but for woman as well, and in fact- for all people including marginalized groups and even for those in ambiguous moral situations.

So in our story, Jesus meets a Samaritan woman by Jacob’s well and ask for a drink of water and nothing more …but in true Jesus fashion as he tends to do on many occasions…

Turns the world completely and utterly up-side down, inside out and on its head!

How does he do that and why?

Bit of history to set the context:

Jacob’s well is an ancient deep well cut through rock and is apparently 41 metres deep. It is still used today and has been dated as over seven millennia in age! It is called Jacob’s well because it is supposedly the well that was in the land given to Jacob when he returned from Mesopotamia (Padam Aram).

Although it at the time of Jesus Jacob’s well did not have the religious and scared significance like other wells in and around Jerusalem. However, it was a place familiar and important for the people of the region who relied on the well to meet their practical and agricultural needs.

It was a well that could be used by anyone and Jesus probably would have known that when he chose to go there. Perhaps the equivalent today would be to go to KFC in Brixton for Sunday Lunch or a pub in Eltham on a Friday night. Or your local garage or even chip shop to see who you might meet! Jesus deciding to go to Jacob’s well was a kind of statement in itself. At the time most Jews would avoid any place where they might meet and have to cross people that they believed God despised.  And despised they did….the Samaritans were really disliked and hated by the Jerusalem Jews of the time. Jesus understood well this unhealthy hatred of one group of people towards another and used the sad fact  to illustrate the coming of God’s new covenant of acceptance for all  in this story the Samaritan woman  and of course another parable which we all know as the parable of the good Samaritan. And the Samaritan name lives on in the expression and charity called ‘the Samaritans’ that help people when they are down and depressed!

So why did the Jerusalem’s Jews and the Samaritans hate one another?

In the book of Kings in the Old Testament approximately 900-1000BC you can read of Israel becoming divided into two Kingdoms. Ten tribes in the North called Israel and two in the south called Judah.

The Northern Kingdom of Israel’s capital city was Samaria with its King Jeroboam.

The southern Kingdom capital city was Jerusalem and its king confusingly was called Rehoboam.

They declared war on each other to unite the two Kingdoms but as in any war it escalated until both were exhausted. (All in the book of Kings). In the end Jeroboam banned Israelites from going to Jerusalem to offer sacrifice and worship. And instead he set up idols in his own city of Samaria. This Northern Kingdom called Israel was then overrun by the Assyrians. . Over time the Jews of this Northern Kingdom of Israel intermarried with the Assyrians contrary to the Jewish laws in Deuteronomy and so the Samaritans became a race perceived by the Jerusalem Jews as faithless disobedient half breeds unworthy of even being spoken to.

But does that bother Jesus and stop him a Jew from talking with a Samaritan!  no of course not!

Jesus shows us how to accept people for who they are and he tells us to do the same. In fact he positively discriminates towards all those that suffer because they are different. Jesus is clear, make every effort at all time to include everyone. Nobody is excluded from God’s grace

And that includes women to. It might seem obvious today but at the time of this story woman were considered to be second class citizens and Jesus was talking with a woman. A Samaritan woman as well!

Woman’s status and freedom at the time of Jesus were severely limited by the male interpretation of Jewish Law. Most women had no authority; they were confined to their father’s or husband’s home. They were considered to be under the authority of men either their Father’s before marriage and then by their husband after marriage. And as a result were often bartered and traded in marriage arrangements and deals.

Woman at the time were not allowed to testify in court, they could not travel in public and talk to strangers. They were veiled and could not read the scriptures or be taught in the temple or synagogue.

On the other hand:

Jesus treatment towards women was so revolutionary and further contributed to the establishment’s determination to get rid of him.

Jesus persisted throughout his ministry challenging this embedded  prejudice towards woman , he healed women taught women, he included women in his inner circle and it was woman who he appeared to after he resurrected. Jesus gives woman equality to men. Jesus called woman ‘daughters of Abraham’ Dynamite at the time, and there is no other parallel in the Old Testament to that statement either.  Jesus invented the expression ‘daughters of Abraham’ and shows to us that men and woman are loved equally by God as his sons and daughters - That is what Jesus says!  

Finally Jesus showed concern for widows and divorcees. In Mark 10:11-12, Jesus overthrows this tradition of male divorce and states that neither spouse can divorce the other; he treats the wife and husband equally. Again, explosive stuff at the time when woman were in some ways commodities to be bought and sold in marriage

And that point regarding divorce is the one that this passage pivots on.

Jesus says to the woman in verse 17 “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

Five husbands and a boyfriend that is some going! The story sadly does not share details but the point is that this Samaritan woman would have been considered little’s better than dirt by many. Being married five times and co-habituating would have made her an outcast outside her own home.

She is in a morally ambiguous situation and people would ignore her as a bad luck omen and probably gossiped and slandered her as a prostitute. That is speculation

But the point here is that Jesus never excludes anyone. He can share a cup of water and conversation with this Samaritan woman and use it to make a point about acceptance and love for all regardless.

And what about us?

In Jeremiah the prophet refers to the people of Israel being like cracked and broken cisterns unable to hold water. Good for nothing in other words!

We are all sinners and using this  analogy, if sin is like a cracks and flaws in a characters and lives so we to are like these cracked jars, broken cisterns unable to hold anything!

But as we speak, Jesus is putting things right. When we ask for forgiveness he constantly refills us with his grace, forgiveness and love and will do so again and again as its pours out of a damaged lives. and I also believe in time He repairs the cracks and replace the broken part so that we become mended and whole.

And when we become these are repaired vessels of Grace and able we scan hare the Gog’s inpouring and outpouring with the world!

So to conclude

Jesus enraged prejudices and the comfortable power of the male establishment as our story illustrates- it is as simple and innocent as a man asking a women to help him to a glass of water -  and in doing so turns the world on its head and shows to us the truth of God’s love for everyone

Jesus really sowed a seed for change in thus story which has spread through history and has genuinely changed the world. And Yes Woman still suffers prejudice, one group or race of people will despise and hate another, we know that and sadly see and read about it in the news!!  But what Jesus teaches and demonstrated is his acceptance of all people and ultimately demonstrated such by dying for anyone regardless of race gender background on the cross!  Anyone who chooses to accept him as Lord and call on his name takes on the acceptance of others without prejudice, gossip or judgment! That is the deal!

And the battle for equality is still relevant today. And we as Christians we have to show the world through our live s that Christians live differently by the example set by Christ. 

There should be no place for hatred or Racism in the Church and our communities and we need to battle our fears of change through acceptance of love for as children of God.

And there should be no justification for sexism in the Church and our homes because Jesus showed that woman and men are equal.

And we do not judge people and understand that despite our own moral ambiguities and sins - God accepts us and has absolutely no problem in coming alongside, accepting and  sharing as we are where we are! And we mast do the same

So I started with water and will end with water!

Jesus say to the woman that “everyone who drinks this water will be thirty again but the water that I give will never thirst again”

Jesus also says that the worshippers that God seeks are those that “worship in spirit and truth” verse 24

These two promises are here for us to claim today…we can ask God to refresh us and fill us to the brim…by worshiping him in spirit and truth we enact the inpouring and outpouring of God’s spirit into our lives and into the world.

And although at times we might very well be like Jeremiah’s cracked and broken cisterns unable to hold very much… however in Christ he can repair fix and heal our lives so that we can be brimful of love!

That is the promise and so lest ask to drink deep from the endless wells of his love

Amen

Sermon 16th March 2014

Today, one of our Lay Readers, Adrian Parkhouse, continues our Lent Study.

Journey to the Cross:  John 3: 1-17

“”So you are a teacher of Israel ... and you do not recognise such things?”” v.10.

1.              I knew – at least I thought I knew - that I had talked about Nicodemus already this year.  But I simply couldn’t remember what I had said! Or even what the passage was that I had spoken on – except that I was pretty sure it was not our passage today or either of the two other occasions we meet Nicodemus in John’s gospel.  What was it?  So frustrating -  but I needed to check:  it would be awful to have stood up today  and said exactly the same as I said last time (though if even I can’t remember what I said, who am I trying to fool in thinking you would?).  It was not on the Parish blog as worship together talks aren’t posted there and no sign of it in my Sermons folder on the PC.  Grrrr!

2.              I found it in the end – but perhaps here lies a first thought for today:  how much do we want to hear, how much do we want to remember, how much do we want to be affected by the words of Jesus?  The question is especially relevant since the account of the meeting with Nicodemus contains two of the most familiar and repeated verses in the whole Bible: “no one can see the Kingdom of God unless they are born again” (v.2) and “For God so loved the world that he gave ...” (v.16).  So very little new may be said.

3.              We are travelling the road to the cross during Lent beginning that journey with Jesus in these early chapters of John.  In fact I found that my earlier talk had been on John ch.1 and I had looked at the concept of labelling ourselves and others and Nicodemus’ name (with that of the others we will meet in the weeks ahead) had cropped-up as I suggested that Jesus would set about challenging the labels we wear – as he challenged the label Nicodemus wore:  So you are a teacher of Israel ... and you do not recognise such things? 

Let’s explore Nicodemus’ labels for a moment because it is helpful to understand where he stands: we are told he was a Pharisee, we are told he was on the ruling council, and as his name is Greek, we can infer he was well-educated.  He is “an establishment man”.

                  But he is also a man who wants to raise a question;  an enquirer, and from what is to follow a genuine, an interested  enquirer.  His is not a question like other Pharisees were to throw at Jesus to trap him:  “is it right for us to pay Caesar or not?”.  Perhaps the seriousness to him of his enquiry explains why he came at night – to ensure personal access to Jesus, away from the pressure of his peers, his fellow Pharisees.

                  He was a religious man.  The Pharisees were devout Jews - “separated” (the meaning of the word), committed to upholding the holiness of God through strict obedience to the Torah.  When Nicodemus came on this night-time mission, as a Pharisee, he will have come already certain that God would work through his people, Israel, believing too perhaps that the tribes were being re-gathered in the Promised Land, and now wanting to understand if perhaps, just perhaps, a messiah might be coming and the nation be saved.

                  If that does not sound an appealing sort of character, perhaps we should look ahead to Nicodemus’ role on the later occasions he appears in the drama:  in John 7 he argues that Jesus should be dealt with justly, according to the Torah, and given a fair hearing before being condemned:  “are you a Galilean too?” they ask; and then immediately after Jesus is taken down from the cross and his body given to Joseph of Arimathaea  for burial, Nicodemus appears laden with spices and helps prepare the Lord’s body for burial.

4.              But that is all we know:  we are left to guess what he had taken from this night-time meeting and how it affected him – though these later incidents lead persuasively to the conclusion that this justice and compassion came from a man who may have been changed as a consequence of what he experienced.

                  What might have changed him?  What was it that may have convinced this man that Jesus was actually more than just the miracle worker that he gave as the reason for his visit?  Because miracles may be attention-grabbing but as we know from elsewhere in scripture, contrary to Nicodemus’ assumption, visible signs are not the sole preserve of God’s team (eg 2 Thess 2:9).

                  Jesus took this reference to what is visible (a man cannot see the Kingdom of God unless ...) and then put forward a concept which went to heart of how Nicodemus had to change – unless he is born again (from above).   Why does this go to the heart of Nicodemus’ stance?  Because for him physical birth as a Jew was the guarantee of Kingdom membership, it was enough;  but Jesus requires a second, a wholly different birth, a birth not related to history or ethnicity.  A spiritual beginning.

                  Initially Nicodemus struggles with the imagery; but his second retort (how can things like this happen?) suggests he has begun to grasp the significance, as Jesus, probably referring to the promises in the Torah and the prophets, chides him (you a teacher and you do not recognise such things?) before emphasising his own authority(we are witnessing to what we have observed) and providing the most succinct statement of God’s work of love – aimed at Nicodemus -  he seems to be saying, “loves the World Nicodemus, the World;   so that everyone, Nicodemus, everyone who believes shall not perish but have everlasting life.”  Nicodemus think again about the grace of God.

5.              The other gospel writers report frequent sayings of Jesus which advise listeners to change.  “You must change your hearts—for the kingdom of Heaven has arrived.”(Matt 4:17).  With John the account is different:  Jesus meets individuals face to face and speaks of what they need to address to experience the Kingdom:  today we see Nicodemus’ need to open his mind to the  vastness of God’s grace – then his faith will be well-founded.

6.              This week’s Lent postcard offers us an abstract work by the French artist Robert Delauney.  Abstract art gives each and every individual an opportunity to see what they will see in the painting – you may see the planets of the universe while I see the contrast of light and dark.  Individual interpretation – drawing on our individual experiences of life, good and bad.  John’s description of the road the cross is similarly individual.  Jesus takes time with individuals to establish their experience and identify a pathway to change.  And change can be hard and the need for it does it not stop when we have been born again.

                  Perhaps I am back to labels and their being challenged?  Sorry.

                  Amen