Where Impossible Becomes Possible/ 7 pm
Posted February 18th, 2008 by Ben Cieslik
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Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, grace and peace to you from Jesus Christ who loves us and frees us from our sin, Amen.
While I was a youth director, I learned many kids' songs that I somehow missed out on as a child. One in particular has stuck with me over the years, though not because it was particularly good. I think I remember it because of the extreme range of emotions that it demonstrates.
It goes a little something like this. If I had a little white box to put my Jesus in, I'd take him out and *smooch* *smooch* *smooch* and share him with a friend. But if I had a little black box to put the devil in, I'd take him out and smash his face and put him back again.
It's a fun song to sing, but it is really quite bizarre. But because of its oddities I find that it is a helpful case study for our text tonight.
For, whatever musical qualities this song may or may not have, it demonstrates quite plainly some of the ways that we sometimes think about faith and God. Think about who is the subject in the song? Who's perspective is the song sung from? Mine. The word "I" is all over it. Hold on to that for a while.
In tonight's second reading from the gospel of John, we meet Nicodemus or rather we participate in Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus. Nicodemus, a Pharisee, a leader in the Jewish community, comes to Jesus to get the inside scoop. He comes to Jesus to see if he can wrap his head around all that has been happening with this Jesus character.
Nicodemus comes to Jesus and says, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." This opening sentence from Nicodemus is so critical for the rest of the conversation. These first few words are so critical because they demonstrate the barrier, they foretell the confusion that ensues as the conversation unfolds. And really, the confusion hinges on two simple words, two words that we use all the time. The second and third words of Nicodemus' sentence make it so painfully clear where the problem lies. Rabbi, we know. We know.
From the earliest age each us is measured by what we can do and what we know. Our understanding of the world around us is managed and shaped by what we can categorize and quantify. To sharpen contrast and differentiate one thing from another, we place things in boxes with labels on them. This is my work box and this is my family box. This is the box that I put my friends in and here's where I store my social life. We each have our own boxes, places where we place stuff to keep our lives in order. This is how we keep control.
But often we have a God box too; a box that we believe describes and holds God. Now, of course, we would never explicitly say that we put God in a box, God is omnipresent, God is omnipotent, God is omni this or omni that. But we act and speak as though we've got it all figured out. Think back to the song I opened with, it's a silly kids song but who is the actor? We are. What do we do? We put Jesus in a little white box and then we share him, but only when we are ready. We let God happen on our terms. We try to control God.
I think this happens most often in our prayer life. We come before God in prayer convinced we know what God can and cannot do. We come before God convinced we know what God will or will not do. We come before God in prayer convinced that we know God. We come before God thinking that we know best, thinking that we know best what will satisfy our needs. We think we know God and in doing so we put God in a box.
"Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God." In these opening words from Nicodemus, Jesus sees the issue that will trouble Nicodemus, Jesus sees plainly the box that Nicodemus has put God in. The God that Nicodemus conceives of is too small. Let's look again at our text from John, in verse three Jesus answers Nicodemus' assertion with these words, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above."
As English speakers we are at a bit of a disadvantage when it comes to this part of the text. Because, the word that is translated from above, as in born from above can also mean born again or born anew. When Jesus says, Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above. He means both meanings, no one can see God's kingdom without being born anew and from above. Nicodemus misses this completely because his God is too small. It is not an either or proposition, it is a both/and. To see God's kingdom we must be born anew, from above. This rebirth, a birth from above and anew, is a gift that comes through the water and the spirit. It is a gift for each one of us. It is a gift for the whole world, for God so loved the world. It is a gift for you and me today, right now.
In baptism we are born anew from above through the water and spirit. It is a new birth from above that repeats itself daily, because we need it daily. For daily we sin, daily we fall short of God's plans for us, daily we try to be God, to limit God and to put God in a box. When we box God, we hurt God for God wants to be in relationship with us. But moreover, when we box God we limit ourselves. When we put God in a box, we obscure from our own vision the work of God's kingdom that is going on around us.
When we put God in a box, our vision gets so narrow that we even fail to understand the world around us. In verse twelve Jesus says, "If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?" Friends, the you in this verse in not just Nicodemus. Once again we are limited by our language, the you in the verse is the second person plural. The meaning of this verse would perhaps be clearer if we employed colloquialisms from the folks in the south or my home state of Wisconsin, y'all and youse guys respectively. Try hearing the verse this way, "If I have told y'all about earthly things and youse guys do not believe, how can y'all believe I tell you about heavenly things?" Right, so it is pretty unlikely that this will ever make any actual Bible translation, but it helps remind us that these words are for us, not just Nicodemus.
When we put God in a box we make God unable to do anything. But then, by water and spirit, we can daily look anew at the work of God's kingdom that is unfolding. Then, by the gift of water and the spirit, we see that the impossible is possible for God.
By water and the spirit we see that God so loved that world, that God came into the world, came into our darkness, and lived among us. God lived with us and for us so that God's possibilities could be made known to each one of us.
When the disciples asked Jesus how they should pray, he gave them the Lord's prayer. This week take the second petition and third petitions of the Lord's prayer - Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven - and let them shape your prayers. Invite God to help you see his kingdom. Pray that God's will may guide, direct and become your own. Ask God to help you take your gift of faith out of your little white box, so that we may see the impossible become possible. This is the vision for which we pray, this day and always. Amen.
