Born again and again and again

Isaiah 6:1-8; Roman 8:12-17; John 3:1-17

The TV series The Chosen portrays the stories of Jesus in dramatized form. The stories expand on what is in scripture to bring the people in scripture to life. This is not a new practice. Many of us enjoy historical fiction, on TV and in books. We read the books Roots, and North and South and watched on TV and were enraptured by the stories told. More recently, many watch The Crown. Based on truth, they are essentially Midrash.  

The Jews have used Midrash – expanded stories of Torah – for thousands of years. The Chosen is often Midrash, helping us to understand the biblical Jesus by adding words and additional stories to the scripture we know. Where it is appropriate today, I will label such stories as Midrash.

I suggest if you haven’t watched any episodes of The Chosen, that you at least search for the YouTube video of Jesus and Nicodemus, in Chapter 3. Some of what I am about to say uses the ideas expressed in The Chosen interpretation of this conversation.

Nicodemus is a wealthy Pharisee, an educator who regularly teaches classes on the Jewish faith. He is a logical man, using his mind to understand God and God’s laws as they apply to living faithfully. His mind, as well as his faith in what he believes, is challenged in a story in The Chosen about Nicodemus being called upon to cure Mary Magdalene when she has one of her psychotic episodes. He is unsuccessful, but astounded as he watches Jesus heal her, casting out all of her demons. (Nicodemus’ presence is Midrash, not scripture.)

So, one evening, after dark he goes to speak privately with Jesus. Perhaps he hopes that as two important teachers they can have a peer-to-peer conversation. Perhaps he simply wants to avoid having other Pharisees know he is talking to Jesus.

Nicodemus is hopeful for the Jewish people, and afraid for Jesus. He wonders if Jesus has something important to tell the people. He wonders if Jesus is sent by God. Again, some of this conversation is Midrash, but it makes sense to me that some Pharisees – more than just Nicodemus – would be paying hopeful attention to Jesus and not dismissing him outright.

Later, in John Chapter 7, Nicodemus will publicly question the judgment of the Sanhedrin – the Board of Directors of the Jews – whether they are condemning Jesus without a fair hearing. And at the end, in John 19, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea will carry away Jesus’ body to place it in a new tomb.  

But, first, Jesus and Nic have this conversation. In The Chosen, Nicodemus is given more lines, so it is more of a conversation than a lecture. Nic is clearly trying to wrap his head around the metaphorical language that is counter to a logical understanding of the words. We also get a sense of a peer-to-peer conversation, filled with some humor.

For example, when Jesus says, “You must be born again,” Nicodemus comments, “I hope you do not mean literally, because that would be a problem for my mother and me, since my mother is dead.” Obviously, this is Midrash!

… Much has been made of this phrase, “born again.” Some Bibles interpret the Greek to be saying, “born from above” to emphasize the spiritual nature of rebirth. Others focus on the literal meaning, often as a reference to immersion baptism after a profession of belief in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Lutherans have always understood this as spiritual, and often see being reborn as happening over time, and at several times in a lifetime. This is true for Nicodemus. He didn’t come to believe in Jesus that night during or after their conversation. But he kept an open mind, and continued to question what he believed, what Jesus said and did, and how the Jewish leadership responded. In the end, he was known as a secret believer in Jesus.

… Very often in our lives we have times when we doubt, and when we believe strongly. It may have something to do with challenges like ill health, or financial difficulties – “how can a good God let this happen!” we wonder. Or with attendance at a retreat, where our faith is strengthened by the teaching and conversations and the activity of the Holy Spirit. When the crisis is over, or we head home from the retreat, we feel that our faith in God has been renewed.

The Prophet Isaiah, in our reading today, is having a huge born-again moment. He believes he is a sinful man, living among sinful people. He is not worthy to be called to serve a holy God, but God is persistent. The Seraphs – a type of angel – fly around God singing “Holy, holy, holy.” And one of them collects a burning coal, touches Isaiah’s mouth, and declares that Isaiah has been made clean.

Isaiah understood that the coal would have been holy, as it came from a burnt offering. With this symbolic cleansing, Isaiah knows he has been born again, renewed for service to what ever God is calling him to do. “Here I am. Send me!”

… Paul is trying to help the Romans understand that they are children of God – reborn through God’s Holy Spirit to live a different kind of life than that of the average Roman citizen. They now have the right as children of God to call God Abba, Pater, Father.

This is a big deal! It doesn’t necessarily mean calling God Papa or Daddy. Calling God Father was radical in itself, since no one ever would have thought of God in that way. The usual concept of God was as the holy, holy, holy One in Isaiah’s vision. Or as the very human Roman Caesar who proclaimed himself divine.

In contrast, God has appeared to the Jews and Gentiles as a human, with divine powers to heal, to control nature, to raise people from death. This Jesus has said, “God is like your own parent, loving and forgiving you, and seeking a permanent relationship with you.”

… Mostly, we are like Nicodemus. It takes time to wrap our earth-bound, logical minds around such ideas. Even today, 2,000 years after Jesus said our most holy God is like our heavenly parent, and we need to be born of the Holy Spirit to understand this, we don’t fully get it.

How can God be the holy, holy, holy One; the human Jesus who walked with us and lived like a regular person; and the Holy Spirit – God’s communication channel? How can we comprehend that God is all of that, at once?  Only through the cleansing of the water of baptism and God’s Holy Spirit. It makes us scratch our heads in puzzlement, just like Nicodemus.

Mostly, for me God is Jesus, sitting with me, walking with me, wearing jeans and a t-shirt, while at the same time being holy, holy, holy God. AND, I am aware of the amazing guiding presence of God’s Spirit helping me put together sermons, pray, teach, and listen to people with their hurts and in their joys.

This week, I hope you will spend some time with the puzzle of who God is for you. I look forward to your stories, as always. Keep them coming!

Amen