Misunderstandings

A sermon for the people of First Baptist Church of Austin

May 26, 2024
John 3:1-21

Misunderstandings

Jesus and Nicodemus Having a Conversation by ArtByJory

It happened a lot during the Covid lockdown of 2020. Information spread fast across the internet, easily shared with one click of a button. People were eager to learn as much as they could about the new coronavirus and with no way to know if the information was accurate, people began developing opinions based off the trustworthiness of the person sharing it rather than the source of the information. “Uncle Steve is a medical doctor so I can trust what he shared on Facebook to be true, because he knows about medical stuff! If he posts it, I’ll believe it!” Before long, opinions about the efficacy and safety of vaccines were being disputed because an echo chamber of misleading information circulated the Facebook feeds of people skeptical of science with mistrust in the government. In this case, the ramifications of that misinformation became dangerous and deadly, with so many people losing their lives because their personal beliefs about vaccines had contradicted scientific facts. 

When we are so sure of our belief system, it can be hard to make decisions that counter the narrative we have created for ourselves, even if there is evidence to the contrary. We become entrenched in our preconceptions of others and the world that it’s most comfortable to surround ourselves with people who validate our thoughts and behaviors. No one wants their belief systems challenged every day! And with the prevalence of 24 hour news and social media, we get trapped into an echo chamber without even knowing it. 

Research studies have shown evidence that we are more likely to seek out information to confirm our existing beliefs rather than find new ideas that challenge them.  Just think about how you utilize google to find information.  You might have seen a meme on Facebook that warned of the dangers of eating meat which sounded compelling. You saw another post about the lack of jobs in rural Texas, which you had heard about from your cousin who is struggling to find a way to support her family.  You then saw a TikTok about fluctuations in temperatures across the state being a normal part of the changing seasons.  So, you type “Is meat bad for you?” “Are illegal immigrants taking our jobs?” “Is global warming a hoax?” Up pops 25,000 articles from a variety of sources, some you know like The New York Times, and The American Heart Association, and others you’ve never heard of like News-Medical and Scripps Health.  These sources all sound pretty legit, you think. They have “medical” in the website name. It’s definitely trustworthy.  

You scroll through the list of titles of the articles and they all seem to imply that eating meat IS actually bad for you!  They are titled, “Why is red meat bad for you?” And,“Meatless meals: The benefits of eating less meat.” And, “What are the negative health effects of eating meat?” Yup. That’s what you thought.  Meat IS bad for you! You’ve done your research and you know your next move: You swear off meat (after you finish the bacon in your fridge).

Now we’ve found "facts” to support our conclusions or inclinations, but the problem is that we actually have fews tools to distinguish correct and incorrect information while we search for facts.  In fact, it is believed that more than half the health information on the internet has not been verified by experts. And I don't even know if that sat that I googled is actually true! How are we supposed to know who to trust?

We get stuck in what’s called a confirmation bias, which is a concept where we tend to favor information that supports or confirms our existing beliefs or values. When we seek out information that gives more weight to the facts that support our already held views while ignoring or dismissing things that contradict them, that’s when we know we are exhibiting confirmation bias. Like when we swear off meat because we saw one documentary about the health dangers.

Now, I’m not trying to convince you to swear off meat.  I love meat! But what I do want us to recognize are the times when we are trapped in our bias. We’ve all done it. We are doing it right now! And we don't’ really have a fighting chance to get out of our bias. we live in spaces where our bias is confirmed on the regular.  

Take for example the social media algorithms. They are curated to show you personalized information that would interest you and bring you back to the site. These social media sites work to filter users into niche spaces based on the interactions and engagement of specific content. If you like and share a bunch of videos about border collies herding sheep and memes about their endless energy and intelligence, as I have, your social media feed will begin to show you more and more videos about border collies herding sheep and their endless energy and intelligence because the algorithm knows you want to see this content. While these videos are harmless and entertaining, think about the implications of someone engaging with conspiracy theories and fake news. You become trapped in this filter bubble, not knowing that there are alternative truths out there, because all you are being shown are border collie videos.

And just like us  in our social media filter bubbles, Nicodemus is also trapped in a filter bubble of his own, one where truth is reduced to the literal and tradition and culture eclipse the mysterious. As a Pharisee, Nicodemus is a well-respected religious leader with impressive educational credentials. He has dedicated his entire life to studying, understanding, and interpreting the Bible. He is well versed in Biblical interpretation. Think of the Pharisees as a cross between a lawyer and a Biblical scholar. They really knew their stuff. So naturally he lived within this echo chamber of the men who also dedicated their lives to the study of scripture.  They contemplated the law and debated the meaning of scripture as their profession.  They were committed to faith. There wasn’t a lot of room for imagination or wonder because imagination can’t be verified with facts.

So imagine how they felt about Jesus. Jesus had just turned water into wine at the wedding in Cana, which was quite the miracle, and had flipped the tables in the temple in response to the corruption and irreverence of the people in the Jerusalem Temple. Jesus, a self-taught teacher, also with an expertise in scripture and law, was defying the norms of a typical Pharisee. 

The Bible doesn’t tell us what the Pharisees were thinking, but we can imagine they felt threatened by this unofficially educated teacher going around gathering a following with his teachings. They are skeptical and questioning of this person Jesus who is challenging their sincerely-held system of beliefs and traditions. I wonder what their behind closed door conversations were like, when they had the freedom to share their real thoughts about who this Jesus guy is. I bet there were some heated and passionate words spewed. 

Nicodemus is still curious about this Jesus though.  Curious enough that he seeks out Jesus in the cloak of the darkness, using the night as his shield to protect his theological curiosity and his reputation. He doesn’t want his colleagues to know he is even talking to Jesus, much less seeking answers from Jesus, but yet he approaches Jesus as if he is representing the larger group, as if they sent him. He says, “Rabbi, WE know that you are a teacher who has come from God….” Like when people say “we’ thinking it will add more weight and authority behind their statements, like they aren’t the only one behind it.  “We” think you should do… XYZ” or “Everyone’s been saying this and that about you.(dot dot dot)…” Nicodemus is protecting his vulnerability in order to engage his curiosity. 

I admire Nicodemus for this. Because isn’t that the first step to discipleship? That we show up with curiosity in the act of seeking Jesus? We brave the uncomfortable emotions of being vulnerable, risking it all, knowing that is all could be turned upside and our lives changed completely. As Brene Brown says, “vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity.” We don’t have all the answers, but we have to have a willingness to risk our comfort for the promise of something bigger than ourselves.  It’s the promise of the possibilities of a life filled with purpose and meaning, as we seek Jesus.

Nicodemus is seeking answers from Jesus.  He starts his conversation the way we all might, by stating what he knows to be true. He says to Jesus, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could do these miraculous signs that you do unless God is with him.” He knows for a fact that Jesus is a teacher. But the only way he can explain the miraculous things Jesus has done is by using logic to deduce that these things must have come from God.  No human can do these things on their own! He’s never seen it happen before. So, these signs are pretty big source of proof to convince Nicodemus that Jesus is different. 

We aren’t much different than Nicodemus. Our inclinations as humans are to have proof before we accept something to be true. We need physical evidence like fingerprints and DNA to prove the defendant was without a doubt, the person who committed the crime.  We need empirical data like temperature readings, chemical reactions, and measurements to know for certain our scientific hypothesis is true. We want financial statements and market research to make sound business decisions for our small business. We need lab results, imaging scans and biopsies to prove a serious medical diagnosis. All these signs point to the truth and assure us in our conclusions. The proof gives us security that what we are experiencing can be relied on and trusted.

Nicodemus’ conclusions about Jesus are not technically wrong though,  Yes, he is a teacher who has come from God. And, there is actual evidence of Jesus’ miracles that Nicodemus can point to. But what Jesus does in response challenges Nicodemus in his understandings of God’s kingdom and the nature of who Jesus is and why Jesus is here. He pushes Nicodemus’ logical and literal understanding of the world in a back and forth conversation that gets more and more confusing as it goes along. 

Do you ever think of Jesus as that friend that just likes to push your buttons to make you a little frustrated because they like to play devil’s advocate?  Or like when you were a kid and your sister was pushing the boundaries of what the definition of “touch” meant by putting her finger as close to your face without actually touching it knowing that she couldn’t get in trouble for touching you? 

Like that’s how I see Jesus here. Just pushing our comfort zone of the truth.  He KNOWS Nicodemus can’t see past the literal and yet Jesus replies with such a confounding statement that defies all logic. He says, “Surely, unless someone is born again, it is not possible to see God’s kingdom.” Can we really fault Nicodemus for being like,  “huh?” Of course he’s going to have questions.  What Jesus is saying seems really far fetched and a little strange. Being born again isn’t possible! 

Jesus is such a beautiful orator. His words are calculated and have great meaning.  He isn’t confused or delusional.  He says them with intention and purpose, meaning to challenge Nicodemus’ understanding of what could be, and certainly does the same for the modern day hearer. 

I think it’s really important to point out a feature of the Greek language that we, as English speakers, can’t really appreciate, and it helps us understand what Jesus was trying to tell Nicodemus and why Nicodemus has such a hard time understanding him. In the English translation of the Greek  word “anothen”, translated as “again”, we really miss out on a cool double meaning that is only possible in Greek.  Even Hebrew and Aramaic don’t have a word to convey what Jesus is trying to show Nicodemus here.  The word “anothen” can be translated as “again,” AND “from above”.  The translators and editors of our modern Bibles typically choose the word “again,” reducing the second meaning to a footnote, as if it’s an either/or. As if you get the choice to choose your own adventure in translating. “from above,” or you choose, “again.” Obviously, both imply two separate meanings in English.  We miss out on this meaning when we only choose “born again.” To be “born from above” implies that one is born from God, meaning we live according to the new life Jesus shows us. it’s a shame we’ve simplified this word into a slogan and a formula for salvation and miss the fullness of what Jesus is trying to teach us. 

Nicodemus is stuck in the literal, contemplating the physics of how it’s impossible to enter the womb a second time, Jesus is trying to teach him about a new life empowered by the Holy Spirit, not an actual fleshy re-birth. Jesus is inviting Nicodemus into a life that is unpredictable, surprising, imaginative, and non-tangible. That being born again means a new way of being. That being born from above means a life in the Spirit. The radical part- it’s not something that you have to wait for to experience. It something Jesus says is accessible now, the kingdom of God is a reality for all who live their new life in the Spirit. 

And this is exactly what Jesus is trying to teach us today….to step out of our deeply entrenched filter bubbles, to consider a life outside of the echo chamber of homogeny. To consider what being filled with the spirit could really mean for our own lives. To ponder what this text could actually mean in our lives, and not what we already think we know about it’s meaning.

Jesus is calling us into a new life, to be born again into all the extraordinary that God offers, to follow a God whose love for us is so immense that God would be patient with us in our misunderstandings.  Jesus is gentle with us as our doubts turn into belief, as our cynicism turns into optimism, as our hesitations turn into full participation. 

How is Jesus challenging you to see the world in a different way? What new things is Jesus revealing to you that you are having difficulty understanding or admitting? What kind of rebirth do you need? What needs to die in your life so you can be born again?

May we bring our questions to God, not in the cloak of darkness, but in the spirit of transparency, vulnerability, and willingness to let the answers wash over our doubts..  May we be open to consider something other than what we think is true, to have God transform our lives into something new and beautiful.

Amen.