Remembering Nicodemus

In the month of February, we think of Valentine’s Day and hearts and flowers. February also has Flag Day, when we remember to honour our Canadian flag of a red maple leaf. The month of February is also designated Black History Month. I grew up in Amherstburg, Ontario, south of Windsor, which was an important exit point in the underground railroad for Black slaves escaping to Canada. Amherstburg has a Black History Museum, which has displays of artifacts and maps of that important road to freedom.

I was interested to read that it has been said that enslaved people held Nicodemus of John’s Gospel in particular esteem because he went to find Jesus by night. Black slaves were forbidden by their masters to gather for worship in the daytime when white folk went to church, so they would meet secretly at night. They respected Nicodemus for risking condemnation, perhaps even punishment, to be with Jesus. It is interesting how differently people view the character of Nicodemus.

Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a member of the powerful Sanhedrin council, and a high-ranking member of Hebrew society. Some scriptural commentators see him as a cowardly figure who goes to Jesus by night because he is afraid of the Sanhedrin council. Others see him as representing the conservative hierarchy that cannot understand the teaching of Jesus and therefore oppose him. However, Nicodemus risked his position as a prominent religious leader to seek a greater understanding of God’s will.

He was well educated in the Hebrew scriptures and the laws of the Hebrew religion, but his mind was not closed. He was humble enough to admit that this holy man from Galilee named Jesus had something to teach him. Nicodemus approached Jesus with an open mind, a willing heart, and a spirit longing for a deeper understanding of God. The fact that he questions Jesus is not a mark against him, but a sign of his willingness to reconcile his traditional knowledge with the radical ideas of Jesus. Even when Jesus chastises him for not understanding the concept of being born in the Spirit, Nicodemus still searches for understanding.

In Nicodemus, we see the struggle between knowledge and faith. His thinking has been shaped by years of study and discussion of the scriptures. What Jesus is saying goes beyond traditional teaching to the mystery of faith that with God, all things are possible. This is dangerous ground for Nicodemus. Jesus is questioning the right of the Pharisees to determine God’s will for the people. Most of the Hebrew leaders considered Jesus a blasphemer who should be shunned and condemned.

Nicodemus goes by night to speak with Jesus privately. If that seems cowardly, consider that later Nicodemus stands up in the Sanhedrin Council to defend the right of Jesus to be heard. Once Jesus was condemned, there was little else Nicodemus could do. His respect for Jesus was shown when he assisted Joseph of Arimathea in burying the body of Jesus in the tomb. This was a very public act, which probably angered the other Hebrew leaders.

If we criticize Nicodemus for not saving Jesus, we forget the fearful circumstances of the time. Before we condemn the Pharisees, we should remember that Christians have shunned, condemned and killed other Christians in the history of the Christian church. Sometimes we forget that Jesus was a radical teacher, constantly challenging people to rethink their religious traditions.

The season of Lent is a good time to remember the story of Nicodemus because we all need time to question our personal relationship with God and with the teaching of Jesus. As the scripture designated for Ash Wednesday reminds us, we should not practise our faith to be seen as righteous or better than others. Nicodemus recognized that searching for God in our lives may require the humility to listen to the wisdom of others.