“How can this happen?” Who among us hasn’t asked that question at some time in our life? When life throws challenges at us, like the sudden death of a loved one, or a disturbing diagnosis, or a failed relationship, we get a little shaky in our faith. We want answers.
In our gospel, Nicodemus asks Jesus the same question: ‘How can this happen?’ He didn’t understand what Jesus meant by being “born again”.
Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a member of the Jewish ruling council and an influential man in religious circles. He probably had some wealth, and in general, people looked up to him.
We learn in an earlier verse that he came to Jesus at night because he was fearful of what others might say about him if they saw him talking to Jesus. But Nicodemus had these questions that he wanted answered. Jesus had sparked his interest and he just had to go meet him.
In many ways, aren’t we like Nicodemus coming to Jesus, confused, and looking for answers? Jesus wants Nicodemus, and us, to look at life, even if it is full of threatening, worrisome situations, with the eyes of faith.
No matter what challenge we face, Jesus invites us to look beyond the simply human elements so we can take up that challenge with trust and confidence in him. Jesus wanted Nicodemus to rise above his fear and understand he was a beloved, chosen child of God.
When Jesus said, “You must be born again” — born from above, born of the Spirit — he was saying that the Christian life is not a set of beliefs or a moral code. It is an experience. Jack Hanna, a famous conservatist who believed people needed to experience nature first to appreciate it, like that incredible, beautiful eclipse yesterday, wisely said: “Touch the heart to teach the mind.” This is certainly what Jesus was trying to do with Nicodemus. God wants to have a relationship with us, and if we have missed having this heart to heart relationship, we have missed everything.
From the Scriptures, we learn that Nicodemus did have a change in his life. He spoke up for Jesus during the Passion and went with Joseph of Arimathea to retrieve the body of Jesus after his crucifixion (John 19:39). Once a strict, religious person, Nicodemus now had a living, personal relationship with God. He was born again.
Like Nicodemus, may we remain open to hear Jesus’ voice, and let his love and message transform our hearts. To be aware of God’s presence each day in the circumstances of our lives and to respond in love, is to be ‘born again’. “Touch the heart to teach the mind.”
