Becoming Nicodemus

Today, Nicodemus makes his second of three appearances in John’s Gospel. In the first appearance, Jesus blows the Pharisee's mind with the concept of spiritual birth and concludes the encounter with arguably the most important distillation of his mission in John 3:16-17.

Here, the crowd and Pharisees are reacting to Jesus’ cry “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me'' (John 7:38). In the debate over the meaning and fulfillment of the prophecy, Nicodemus reminds his fellow Pharisees to hear and investigate before judgment.

And finally, after Jesus’ death, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea bury his body. Nicodemus brings a royal burial quantity of myrrh and aloes.

Pharisees are portrayed as the judgmental stewards of tradition and the law. They test and tempt Jesus. In today’s Gospel they incredulously respond that the guards must have been deceived and mock Nicodemus’ defense. I am most often the Pharisee. It’s easy to be a Pharisee. It is far easier to condemn for violations of the law than to show empathy and try to understand.

Can I become Nicodemus? A man transformed by the mission and message of Jesus? I imagine the struggle he must be going through behind the scenes. Challenged by Jesus---challenging his peers---embracing Jesus. This Lenten season and beyond let us become more like Nicodemus. Let us identify where we judge too harshly based on the law and tradition. Let us be open to challenge our peers and be open to empathy toward those we judge. Finally, let us fully embrace the radical love Jesus calls us to have for the other.

Author: Mark Batik, Director of Educational Technology