Right Answer; Wrong Question
based on John 3:1-17
by Rev. Randy L Quinn
Near the end of what is commonly referred to as “the Dark Ages,” when
people began to travel further than they had before, there was a man who lived
alone near a frequently traveled road.
As it happened, a man came to his door once. He was carrying a rather large duck
he had just caught. He said he was a cousin of his and had just caught this
duck; so he wondered if they could make some duck soup and share the meal.
So the two of them shared the duck soup and told stories about their families.
After an enjoyable evening together, the cousin stayed the night and continued
his journey in the morning.
Two days later, a man came to the door and introduced himself by saying he was a
friend of his cousin who had brought him the duck. He wondered if there was any
leftover soup he could share. Well, in fact, there was still a little left, so
they added some vegetables and a little broth and shared a meal before the
friend of his cousin left.
Three days later, another man came to the door and introduced himself by saying
he was a friend of the friend of his cousin who had brought him the duck. He
wondered if there was any leftover soup he could share.
Not wanting to be rude, the man welcomed the friend of the friend of his cousin
and added more vegetables and broth to the soup and they shared a meal before
the friend of the friend of his cousin left.
Well, it happened again, the next week, that a man came to the door and
introduced himself by saying he was a friend of the friend of the friend of his
cousin who had brought him the duck. He wondered if there was any soup he could
share.
Not only was the man’s sense of hospitality wearing thin, so was the duck soup.
But he added some more vegetables and broth and they shared a meal before the
friend of the friend of the friend of his cousin left.
Two days later, another man came to the door and introduced himself by saying he
was a friend of the friend of the friend of the friend of his cousin who had
brought him the duck. He wondered if there was any soup he could share.
So the man warmed some water and put it in a bowl and offered it to his guest.
His visitor looked at it in dismay and asked what it was.
“That, my friend, is the soup of the soup of the soup of the soup of the duck
that my cousin brought me.”
And he never had another traveler stop to ask for duck soup again.
Too many people, I’m afraid, have the faith of the faith of the faith of their
fathers – or their mothers. There is little substance left as we accept what we
have been told and never ask questions and never allow questions to be asked.
Too many of us are like Nicodemus; we have read the scriptures and come to
believe what we have been taught to believe rather than exploring the scriptures
for the answers God has to offer us. We rely on teachers or preachers or
authors. We rely on the advice of the advice of the advice of an expert – but we
don’t really know why we believe what we believe.
Last fall I was asked to publish a newsletter article warning people in our
church to not be enticed by the soon-to-be-released movie based on Dan Brown’s
best seller, The Da Vince Code. I didn’t make the announcement because I hadn’t
read the book and didn’t think it was my job to be a censor of any particular
Hollywood production – any more than I think it’s my job to promote any
particular Hollywood production.
Now, however, there are churches doing series of sermons on the book and the
movie – the same one I was being advised not to read!
I was with some people who were told not to read it and then found their pastor
preaching a series of sermons based on it. They saw the book on the table – and
I enjoyed watching their expressions as they approached the book.
Their eyes were filled with a sense of wonder and awe – a sense of danger and
excitement – a sense of wanting to read it but being afraid of what others might
think if they did.
Too many of us are like Nicodemus; we have read the scriptures and come to
believe what we have been taught to believe rather than exploring the scriptures
for the answers God has to offer us. We rely on teachers or preachers or
authors. We rely on the advice of the advice of the advice of an expert – but we
don’t really know why we believe what we believe.
Sometimes we don’t even know which questions to ask!
In our text for today, it’s curious that Jesus never answers the implied
question Nicodemus brings. It’s as if Jesus is inviting us to play an ancient
version of the television game show, Jeopardy!
Here is the answer: “You must be born from above” (Jn. 3:7).
So, what is the question?
Let’s start with Nicodemus to see if we can find any clues. What was he asking?
Why was he there?
Nicodemus was apparently an educated member of the Pharisees who had been
watching Jesus. He had heard about his miracles and his teaching. We don’t know
for sure, but maybe he had even heard him speak.
He knows Jesus is a gifted teacher who comes from God (Jn. 3:2).
But Nicodemus isn’t sure it fits with what he has been taught before. Not being
one who wants to be accused of following Jesus, he comes at night so as not to
be seen by his peers – much like the people who are afraid to be caught reading
a much-maligned book or seeing a particular movie. But Nicodemus doesn’t even
get a chance to ask his question before Jesus gives an answer – “No one can see
the Kingdom of God without being born from above” (v. 3).
(It may be helpful to remember, at this point, something about the way John
tells a story. Unlike the other gospel writers, John fills his gospel with
stories where Jesus enters a conversation in which words have two different
meanings – and it becomes clear to the reader that Jesus means one thing while
the person in the narrative hears something else. The Greek word Jesus uses to
describe birth in this passage means “from above;” it also means “a second
time.”)
Nicodemus seems to take Jesus literally and wonders how a grown man can be born
again. His response suggests that he thinks he’s being taken for a fool.
But he is no fool. Nicodemus is well educated. He has attended Sunday School
since he was a child. He never missed a day of Vacation Bible School. He was
confirmed and went to a Bible college. He had become a respected leader among
the Jews.
You can say of him what you want, but Nicodemus is no fool – and I don’t think
Jesus is treating him like one, either. Nicodemus has simply fallen into the
trap of accepting the faith of the faith of the faith of the faith of his
fathers. It has not been a personal experience – yet.
Like many people today, however, Nicodemus believes faith is something we can
learn about and know about by studying and memorizing. (Not that studying and
memorizing are bad – I am simply suggesting they are not sufficient.) Nicodemus
has been taught that it is a matter of saying the right words, answering the
right questions, and performing the right deeds.
Jesus, however, is indicating that there is more to it than right words, right
questions, and right deeds. It is a matter of right relationships. We need to be
born into God’s family in order to experience that “right relationship”.
Like all people, Nicodemus knew that he had no choice about who his parents
would be. He could, however, decide what kind of a relationship he would have
with them. He could be a loving and obedient child or he could be rebellious
child. And when he became an adult, he could choose to accept or reject them as
a part of his life.
He also knew the commandment was to “honor your mother and father.”
So Jesus tells him there is a spiritual birth that comes “from above.” Like our
physical birth, it is not something we choose; we simply respond to it. Either
we accept the love of God and enter into a relationship with our Heavenly Father
or we reject that love and deny the possibility of any kind of meaningful
relationship.
We can honor our spiritual Father or we can deny our birth into God’s family.
It is a relationship of love and honor for God that makes Jesus who he is. And
it is that kind of a relationship that he invites Nicodemus to enter into.
You see, the implied question Nicodemus came to ask was: How could Jesus do the
things he did? The answer Jesus gave suggests that the correct question is: How
can I have a relationship with God like you do?
To which we hear the answer, “You must be born from above.”
And that answer is still true today. Let’s pray:
God in heaven, God who is Three and yet One, God who is One and yet Three, we
marvel at the mystery of who you are and the wonder of how you can welcome us
into your family. As we experience your love, we pray that the new birth you
offer to us, this heavenly birth that you make possible, is one we will accept
and honor, so we may experience the fullness of the joy you provide to all those
who are your children.
And God, if there is anyone here today who has not recognized and accepted their
place in your family, I pray that you will move them to respond with hope and
faith – not the faith of the faith of the faith of their parents – but the faith
that enters into a vital and living relationship with you. May we all renew that
commitment to you today. We pray in the name of the One who revealed this truth
to Nicodemus, your Son, Jesus, and through the One who reveals it to us still
today, your Holy Spirit. Amen.
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Selected Bibliography:
Howell, Donald B., editor. Lectionary Homiletics. June 2003/July 2003 (Vol. XIV,
No. 4).
Soards, Marion; Thomas Dozeman; Kendall McCabe. Preaching the Revised Common
Lectionary (Year B: After Pentecost 1). Nashville: Abingdon, 1993.
Wingeier, Douglas E., editor. Keeping Holy Time (Studying the Revised Common
Lectionary, Year B). Nashville: Abingdon, 2002.
