Good Morning Friends,
In past devotionals I have included today’s passage from Acts with the story of the loaves and fishes and explored the problem of thinking we do not have enough. But I suppose I could have linked it to the passage about the rich young ruler and the possibility that Barnabas, in today’s text, was that same person. Part of the problem is that we live in a capitalist society that fixates on having more than we need. We imagine our reality with the wrong foundation. Now the Bible does not forbid commerce and in fact supports it and it supports generosity as well. But the reality is that we must think in a new way about money and the incentives for being generous in love if we hope for the Spirit to be birthed in us. What we are to seek is a God consciousness that kicks out the demons of selfishness. Leadership matters here. It is pointless to gain great wealth for oneself and not have a liberal heart which freely gives to those in need. We must follow the Shepherd to green pastures. So, on our journey to Pentecost and its hopeful unity spiritually as well as physically we must lift our eyes and ears to a new way of sensing and thinking, outside our caves and become part of the scripture story. So, Have You Been Born From Above In Unity With God’s Generous Spirit, The Word Made Flesh?
Scripture: Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”). He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Acts 4:32-37 (NRSV)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.
John 1:1-4 (NRSV)
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14 (NRSV)
Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? “Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
John 3:7b-15 (NRSV)
Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked, “Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?
John 7:50-51 (NRSV)
After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
John 19:38-42 (NRSV)
Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. For ‘All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord endures for ever.’ That word is the good news that was announced to you.
1 Peter 1:22-25 (NRSV)
even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
Ephesians 2:5 (NRSV)
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 (NRSV)
The Lord is king, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed, he is girded with strength. He has established the world; it shall never be moved; your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting. The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring. More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters, more majestic than the waves of the sea, majestic on high is the Lord! Your decrees are very sure; holiness befits your house, O Lord, forevermore.
Psalm 93:1-5 (NRSV)
Message: The term being born again is much maligned in culture and misunderstood as well. The book of John explores this concept in a mystical way that begins with creation itself being birthed with the Word that became flesh. The focus is on God becoming human so that humans could become divine. Jesus, the creator of the Universe points the way to salvation as an example through Nicodemus by pointing us to the Cross. And gives us an example of this new creation in the love of Barnabas. Born again here is more than just changing our mind though repentance but equally important it is engaging in a love of the heart born from above. And like our own physical first births we do not have to do all the heavy labor, but just to breathe and believe. Part of the problem is that most people who call themselves Christians may have some idea what being born again means but could not tell you where it is in scripture even though it is linked to the most quoted scripture in the Bible. The nature of the issue is repentance and love eternal and today’s scripture give the examples of Barnabas and Nicodemus to help us to better understand what is to be our goal when it comes to understanding the nature of being born again. Now first let’s continue our study of Nicodemus. He was a member of the Pharisees. No doubt he sought to keep all the man-made rules of his religion, as well as the law of God which was given to Moses. Nicodemus was a religious man with the hope of life after death, something the Sadducees did not believe in. Nicodemus was a successful, upright man, a leader, and a teacher who was respected in society. Because of his position, fearing what people may think of him seeking advice from Jesus, Nicodemus made his approach to our Lord secretly and at night. Nicodemus knew within himself that something was missing in his life. He was troubled. He believes Jesus to be of God and addresses him with respect. In their conversation but not in today’s text Jesus points to the basis of our faith saying, “And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” Nicodemus was having trouble believing that heaven is attained not by his own merit, but only by the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ. After this first encounter with Jesus, Nicodemus went away. We cannot tell what went on in his mind and what doubts in his own position as a holy man of Israel were awakened within him. The second appearance of Nicodemus in the Gospel of John was when those of his own party, the Pharisees, wanted to condemn Jesus. It was Nicodemus who stood up for Him. Nicodemus became a fearless upholder of justice on His behalf. Then, at a time when the inner circle of disciples had all, but one, deserted their Lord, Nicodemus joined Joseph of Arimathea in bearing away the body of Jesus after the crucifixion. These two secret disciples together were making public their adherence to Jesus, and all that He stands for. It is reasonable to conclude that Nicodemus was born again for his story glorifies the story of Jesus and instructs us as to what it means to be born again. So too Joseph.
And So, Jesus tells Nicodemus that he needs to be born again. His response, just before this passage, is that he is not sure how he would go about crawling back into his mother’s womb, especially since he is pretty old now and therefore would not fit. Of course, that is not really the issue for Nicodemus. I can just imagine Jesus putting his face in his palm and saying, No, Nicodemus. No. I mean really. Did you honestly think that is what I meant? But that was not Jesus’ style. Jesus really wants Nicodemus to be born of the Spirit. Jesus says, “The wind blows wherever it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes. So, it is with everyone who is born in the Spirit”. The Spirit goes where God wills, not where we will. God is free! We cannot control Him. And here Nicodemus is hiding from the Pharisees, worried about being made known, hiding within his comfort zone, somewhere that he is safe, where he has control. God says, “No, Nicodemus, you must rely, depend upon, and trust in Me! Stop hiding in the darkness, come out! Rise to a new life! Believe in Me, trust in Me and I will lead you. Give up the illusion of comfort in your caves this Pentecost. Sure, be safe and cautious physically but realize that the safety of your soul is not in your own control. Let Christ keep your soul safe. Since we are a people born of the Spirit, let us not then return to the darkness and visit the Lord in the secret of the night, clinging to what we desire. We must let go of everything and abandon ourselves to God in the light outside the caves of our ignorance.
Pray we are of one heart and soul and mind obedient to God. Pray we love righteousness and hate sin. Pray we like Joseph are sons of encouragement. Pray we realize that until we come to a faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, that there is something missing in our lives. Pray we realize the power of healing found on the cross of Jesus to bring us the answers we seek. Pray we know that whatever reason brings us to seek answers to life’s most important questions, that God is already working to fill up the missing parts. Pray we realize that the flesh gives birth to the flesh but that the Spirit gives birth to the Spirit…the very breath of God breathing on us like a gentle wind. Pray we move beyond a mere admiration of Jesus to public actions that witness our faith in Him. Pray for all people that they would see the light and the truth and be born into a new way of living generously. Pray we have a consciousness that glorifies God.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 