Trust
What does it mean to believe? Seems a simple enough question.
we might describe belief as having “confidence in the truth, the existence, or the
reliability of something.”[1] It
is also defined as giving intellectual assent to a set of beliefs. For the
people of the Bible believing was more about trust and loyalty. And that trust
and loyalty is at the heart of all our readings this morning.
The psalm is one of the Psalm of Ascents, a psalm
recited setting out for or leaving Jerusalem, or on the journey. This was a
dangerous journey at times. Yet the pilgrim is reminded to trust.
So too are Sarai and Abram. They are promised that
they will become parents of a great nation. One problem, Sarai cannot conceive
any more. She is way past all that. One of our common sayings is “God helps
those who help themselves.” In this case there was nothing they could do. Not
matter how much they practiced Sarai was never going to have children. God is
the initiator. God is the source. God does not depend on or need their effort. Their
only role was to trust and remain loyal. Today we hear the invitation to
continue to trust and be loyal, risking all. Sometimes trusting is hard. I wonder as we progress through Lent what time
we set aside to notice what God is initiating? I wonder how often our effort
hinders our noticing, and our co-operation?
Trust and loyalty are at the heart of our Gospel
reading as well. The conversation we read comes after Jesus not being very sure
about those who “believe” because of the miracles he is doing. He thinks they
are impressed, but that they lack trust and loyalty. For John it is much more
important that people understand Jesus as the one who comes from God and who
makes God known.
Then comes Nicodemus, a leader of the Judean elite
(better translation than “Jew”) Two of the dominant themes in John are light and
darkness, and seeing and being blind. Nicodemus comes in darkness and is blind.
He cannot see or hear what Jesus is offering. he is confused by Jesus notion of
being born anew or from above. (The Greek here can mean either) Ones birth establishes
ones family, honour, place in the world, role and the group you will call
neighbour. To be born anew means starting again, resetting everything and being
offered a new family, new place in the world, role, and group to call
neighbour. Being born from above redefines the family of origin and makes one a
child of God, inviting one to receive the honour and character of God. Being
born anew and from above is about the formation of a new society. it is
initiated by God and is made possible through the action of the Son, the Christ
who is the one who comes from God and returns to God.
“Salvation” is not then a reward for intellectual belief.
Salvation is restored relationships, the proper bonds and trust of kinship. God
is the initiator of this restoration. God is the one who restores because God
so loves the world, the whole world, without qualification. God simply invites
us to see that restoration and to trust.
Do we accept? How much are we willing to trust?
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