Scripture Notes: Born From Above (John 3)

Nicodemus came to Jesus at night. He was a Pharisee, a ruler of the Jewish people, part of a group that had taken deep offense at Jesus. Yet apparently he was also curious, intrigued, and even perhaps drawn to Jesus in a way he could not quite grasp. So he came to Him at night, out of the view of the other Pharisees, hoping for explanations, clarity, answers.

But Nicodemus seemed to find more questions than answers. He started out with what he apparently hoped was a leading statement: “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.” He was looking for a confirmation. He wanted Jesus to tell him for certain Who He was and what He was doing. But Jesus did not.

Instead, Jesus appeared to go off in a completely different direction: “Truly, truly, I say to you unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus, probably with a confused expression, asked how anyone can be born anew. Jesus did not back down, but He did explain: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

Nicodemus was thinking literalistically. Jesus was speaking sacramentally. The word for “anew” here, which is often translated “again,” actually has a richer meaning in the Greek. It means “from above.” It refers to being born of the Spirit. It means entering into a new life, the divine life, as that divine life enters into us. And it points directly toward the sacrament of Baptism.

This is how Christians are born anew, born from above, by water and the Spirit, by Baptism. This is how sanctifying grace, the very life of God, enters into us. The Spirit hovers over the waters of Baptism, making the sacrament efficacious. It does not just symbolize grace; it imparts grace. The Spirit enters into us, making us a new creation in God.

Did Nicodemus finally understand? We do not know for sure. Yet he, with Joseph of Arimathea, considered himself a follower of Jesus and took part in claiming and burying Jesus’ Body after the crucifixion. In any case, Nicodemus found out how our Lord challenges us and draws our thoughts up to Him and to His truth.

Scripture Notes: In the beginning… (John 1)

“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 were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:1-5).

The Word is Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, God and Man. He, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit, created the world. But darkness fell when human beings sinned. So the Word came among us out of a love we cannot even imagine, for He longed to heal the separation between the divine and the human. He brought life. He brought light, a light so strong and so pure that the darkness cannot overcome it. He came to save us and restore us to intimacy with God.

This is the truth of our faith, the very heart of what we believe. Yet often we take it for granted. We fail to approach it with wonder and love. We fail to let it change our minds and hearts and lives. We fail to appreciate exactly what Jesus Christ, the Word of God, has done for us.

So today and throughout the week, let us meditate on these words that the Holy Spirit inspired St. John to write and respond with awe and reverence, gratitude and love.

Scripture Notes: Ruth’s Love (Ruth 1)

Ruth was a Moabite woman who married an Israelite man. Her husband’s family had settled in Moab after a famine pushed them from their own land. But as the Book of Ruth opens, Ruth, her mother-in-law Naomi, and her sister-in-law Orpah find themselves widows. Naomi, now alone and vulnerable in a strange country, decides to return to her homeland. She tells her daughters-in-law to go back to their people, presumably to marry again and go on with their lives.

Orpah does that. Ruth does not. She has come to love her mother-in-law so much that she cannot bear to be parted from her, and what is more, she has come to know and love her mother-in-law’s God. So Ruth clings to Naomi, declaring, “Entreat me not to leave you or to return from following you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.”  

Ruth’s love and determination impact salvation history in a major way. When Naomi and Ruth return to Bethlehem, Ruth meets Boaz, and the two marry, becoming great-grandparents to King David and human ancestors of Jesus Himself.

Scripture Notes: An Introduction to Wisdom (Sirach 1)

The Book of Sirach collects the wisdom of Israel, gathering it up and reflecting on it and emphasizing that we find wisdom only when we are in a right relationship with God and obedient to His will. The first chapter of Sirach introduces us to wisdom. First, we learn where wisdom comes from: “All wisdom comes from the Lord and is with Him forever.” (1:1). There is no other place to find wisdom, for wisdom is essentially a God’s-eye perspective (as much as human beings can have that) on the world. Wisdom helps us see, just a little bit, through God’s eyes so that we can know more about Him, about ourselves, and about His plan for our lives.

But we must cultivate two things if we are to receive a share of wisdom from God. First, we need humility. Sirach asks a series of questions at the beginning of his first chapter, questions that put us firmly in our place. Can we count the sand of the sea or drops of rain? Can we tabulate eternity? Can we measure the heights of heaven or the breadth of the earth or the depths of the abyss? No. But God can. So whatever wisdom we have is, first and foremost, of God. He is generous with His wisdom, pouring it out upon those who love Him. But we have to open ourselves up to that gift, first by realizing how small and weak and stupid we are. That is humility, a recognition of reality.

To embrace wisdom, Sirach tells us, we also need the fear of the Lord. This does not meaning shrinking in terror before God or ducking our heads in expectation of His punishments (as just as those are). This is filial fear, that deep reverence for God that manifests itself in love and in a horror of offending Him by sinning. This kind of fear leads to a right relationship of love and obedience with God, and according to Sirach, it is the beginning, the full measure, and the root of all wisdom.

So we pray for wisdom, for humility, and for the fear of the Lord, that we might grow ever closer to God and see the world, at least a little, through His eyes. Amen.

Scripture Notes: Come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22)

The Book of Revelation is arguably the most difficult book of the Bible to understand. It is filled with horrifying imagery, multi-layered symbols, and news of terrifying trials and tribulations. But it also gives us the best news ever: God wins! Through it all, God protects and cares for and loves His people. No matter what they suffer, He is right beside them, giving that suffering meaning and redemptive power and guiding them through it and home to His new creation.

That is why the Spirit and the Bride (the Church) resound with a prayer and a plea and an invitation at the end of Revelation: Come, Lord Jesus! We are invited to join in. We long for Jesus to come to us, in the Eucharist, in response to our prayers, when we gather as Christians to pray and worship, when we study our faith. We long for Jesus to come to us at the time of our death so that He can lead us home. We long for Jesus to come to us at the end of time when He will finally be all in all and inaugurate a new Heaven and new earth where we will live with Him forever.  

So we pray, “Come, Lord Jesus!” And we hear Him respond: “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen.

Scripture Notes: The Shoot (Isaiah 11)

The prophet Isaiah frequently points directly toward the coming Messiah, but he does so in a mysterious way, a way that would probably have confused his original audience, indeed, a way his original audience may not fully have appreciated. For one thing, Isaiah prophesies the coming of a Suffering Servant, someone who will take the people’s sins upon himself and suffer and even die for them. This is not the powerful, political Messiah people wanted, but it is the compassionate, merciful Messiah people needed.

In chapter 11, Isaiah describes the One Who is to come as a “shoot from the stump of Jesse” and a branch out of Jesse’s roots. The Hebrew word for “shoot” is hoter, and it refers to a twig or a branch. It could also mean a rod. So it is something small, something thin, something apparently weak. It comes from the stump of Jesse, meaning that Jesse’s line has apparently been cut off, but only apparently. Indeed, after the time of the Babylonian exile, Jesse’s line (which is also the line of King David, Jesse’s son) seemed to disappear. But it was merely hidden, waiting for this small shoot to arise.

Isaiah also describes this newcomer as a branch, in Hebrew neser, a sprout. This, too, suggests smallness. The One Who is to come will not appear powerful in the eyes of the world. He will start small, even seemingly insignificant. What can a shoot or a branch do?

But there is something very special about this shoot. Isaiah tells us “the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.” There is more than meets the eye in this little branch. In fact, this shoot will grow and reveal Himself to be something beyond Isaiah’s wildest imaginings.

Scripture Notes: The Value of Wisdom (Wisdom 7)

God told Solomon to ask for something, whatever his heart most desired. Solomon did not chose riches or power, fame or honor. Instead, he requested wisdom. And he did not regret that choice.

In Wisdom 7, Solomon tells us, “Therefore I prayed, and understanding was given me; I called on God, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.” Solomon knows that his wisdom does not arise within himself, from his own intelligence or skills. It is a gift from God. And he values wisdom as such. He sets her before his own kingly power. He prefers her to wealth. She is far more precious than gold or silver, which become like a little sand or clay in comparison. She is even better than beauty or health or the light of day.

Why? Solomon explains that wisdom’s “radiance never ceases.” She provides a God’s-eye perspective on the world that helps us see things as they really are. She shows us the true, the good, and the beautiful and guides us in our quest for those transcendentals (a quest that ultimately leads to God). In wisdom, Solomon finds all good things, a wealth far beyond material possessions. In wisdom, there is true joy.

In fact, Solomon declares that the wealth that wisdom brings “is an unfailing treasure” for human beings, and it leads to “friendship with God.” Here is our very highest goal, friendship with God, intimacy with Him, immersion in His love and obedience to His perfect will.