Barnard United Methodist Church

03/15/2026

03/14/2026

Sunday, March 15, 2026

Prayer list: areas dealing with extreme weather conditions. Those living with handicaps, illnesses, and other concerns. Our country and its leaders. Military and first responders. Those traveling.

Mere’s Message

John 9:1-41

9:1As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth.

9:2His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

9:3Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him.

9:4We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work.

9:5As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

9:6When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man's eyes,

9:7saying to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see.

9:8The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, "Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?"

9:9Some were saying, "It is he." Others were saying, "No, but it is someone like him." He kept saying, "I am the he."

9:10But they kept asking him, "Then how were your eyes opened?"

9:11He answered, "The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' Then I went and washed and received my sight."

9:12They said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I do not know."

9:13They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind.

9:14Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes.

9:15Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, "He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see."

9:16Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not observe the Sabbath." Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?" And they were divided.

9:17So they said again to the blind man, "What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened." He said, "He is a prophet."

9:18The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight

9:19and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?"

9:20His parents answered, "We know that this is our son and that he was born blind,

9:21but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself."

9:22His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue.

9:23Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."

9:24So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, "Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner."

9:25He answered, "I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see."

9:26They said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?"

9:27He answered them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?"

9:28Then they reviled him, saying, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.

9:29We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from."

9:30The man answered, "Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.

9:31We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will.

9:32Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind.

9:33If this man were not from God, he could do nothing."

9:34They answered him, "You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?" And they drove him out.

9:35Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"

9:36He answered, "And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him."

9:37Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he."

9:38He said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped him.

9:39Jesus said, "I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see may see and those who do see may become blind."

9:40Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and said to him, "Surely we are not blind, are we?"

9:41Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, 'We see,' your sin remains.





The story of the blind man contrasts those who can see with those who can’t. The irony is those who think they can see are blind, while those who are blind can see.

This is good news for those willing to confess their ignorance. To put it this way: If you’re willing to admit there are a lot of things about the Bible, the Christian faith, and life in general you don’t understand, this passage is for you. Only those who are self-assured and self-reliant need be concerned.

What I hope you’ll out of the sermon this morning is a word of reassurance, that God doesn’t expect you to know all the answers. He is the answer. When you trust him to lead and guide you, God will give you all you need to live a full and abundant life. The story begins:

“As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.” (John 9:1)

The disciples asked a question common to Jesus’ day: “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2)

We ask the same question today. It goes like this: Why do bad things happen to good people? Why did my brother and I both have Cancer within just 4-5 years apart? Why did I lose my home in a fire? We all have questions like this, don’t we?

It’s an age-old question, and there’s no easy answer to it. Jesus told his disciples,

“Neither did this man sin, nor his parents;
but, that the works of God might be revealed in him.” (John 9:3)

That’s not to say God caused it. It is to say God can use the tragic circumstances of our lives to strengthen us and bless others, if we’re willing. Dick Donovan says,

“… the difficult times in our lives sometimes provide us with special opportunities to bless other people. … When we bear our difficulties with faith, the people around us find themselves blessed by our faith — blessed by our courage — blessed by our grace under pressure. Our terrible times can be fertile ground from which blessings spring.”

In the wake of a personal tragedy – and we’re talking two years after the fact – a friend said, “While I’d never wish this on anyone, it’s made me a better man. I’m more patient and understanding and sympathetic toward others who are going through a difficult time.”

The man’s blindness gave Jesus the opportunity to demonstrate the power of God. If you’re willing to trust God instead of dwelling on your losses, God will use your trials and tribulations to bless you and use you as a witness of faith to others.

The disciples couldn’t see the potential. All they could see was the obvious: A poor beggar, blind from birth. They were the ones who were blind. In many ways, so are we.

John says Jesus spat on the ground, made a paste, and put it on the man’s eyes. I wouldn’t recommend doing this. The word in the text is the verb, to christen. Literally, Jesus “christened” his eyes: He anointed the man by the power of his name. Then he told him to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam. (John 9:6-7) Just like that, he could see. It was a miracle.

This set the stage for a second group – those who had known the blind man for years. John writes,

“The neighbors therefore,
and those who saw that he was blind before,
said, ‘Isn’t this he who sat and begged?’
Others were saying, ‘It is he.’
Still others were saying, ‘He looks like him.'” (John 9:8-9)

Don’t laugh. It’s hard to know what to think when someone you’ve known a long time has a transforming experience: “Gary Don, a preacher! You’ve got to be kidding!”

Have you ever known someone who, in years past, was wild and reckless, and is now a mature and responsible adult? It happens, thank God. But it’s hard for us to accept. We keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, for them to revert back to their old ways.

The friends and neighbors couldn’t believe their eyes. They were stuck in the past, where the man was blind and knew his place. They couldn’t see the evidence of God’s transforming love. They were blind, and, in many ways, so are we.

The friends and neighbors sent for the experts – the religious authorities – those who are supposed to understand such mysteries. They sent for the Pharisees.

You can guess what’s coming: They proved to be as blind as the others!

The Pharisees questioned the man, and he told them the same thing he’d told everyone else: “He put mud on my eyes, I washed, and I see.” (John 9:15) Simple as that.

But things like this are never that simple for religious authorities. They questioned him over and over: What did he do? How did he do it? Nothing he said fit their preconceived notions.





Then it came out: The miracle just so happened to have been performed on the Sabbath. Whoops. You weren’t supposed to do any work on the Sabbath. That included healing. It also included kneading, which is what Jesus did to make the paste. They seized on the technicality. They said,

“‘This man is not from God, because he doesn’t keep the Sabbath.’
Others said, ‘How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?'”
So they were divided.” (John 9:16)

The Pharisees tried to force the blind man to denounce Jesus. They said, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” (John 9:24) He wouldn’t budge. His testimony was eloquent in its simplicity. He said,

“I don’t know if he is a sinner.
One thing I do know:
that though I was blind, now I see.” (John 9:25)

The Pharisees were stuck: God’s Law was clear. There were no exceptions. They couldn’t see beyond the black and white, right or wrong, rules and regulations of the Torah. They were blind to the fact that God’s grace and forgiveness and mercy are unrelenting and unconfined. As God told Moses,

“I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious,
and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” (Exodus 33:19)

The Pharisees couldn’t figure it out. So, they sent for the man’s parents.

“Is this your son, whom you say was born blind?
How then does he now see?”

His parents answered them,

“We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;
but how he now sees, we don’t know;
or who opened his eyes, we don’t know.
He is of age. Ask him.
He will speak for himself.” (John 9:19-21)





You’d think the parents would have come to their son’s defense. Instead, they passed the buck. Why? John says,

“His parents said these things because they feared the Jews;
for the Jews had already agreed
that if any man would confess him as Christ,
he would be put out of the synagogue.” (John 9:22)

To be put out of the synagogue was serious business. Can you spell excommunication? If you lost your seat in the synagogue, you’d no longer belong to the people of God.

You could say the man’s parents were blind by choice. They put on blinders rather than testify to the power and presence of God. They were paralyzed by fear.

One of my favorite stories in the Old Testament is where the angel of the Lord told Abraham that Sarah was to have a baby. (Genesis 18:9-15) Sarah was lurking just inside the door of the tent. When she heard what he said, she laughed. She had good reason: Abraham was something like a hundred years old at the time. She was pushing ninety. You would’ve laughed too.

The angel called her hand on it. He said, “Why did Sarah laugh…?” Sarah said, “I didn’t laugh.” And he said – are you ready for this? He said, “Liar, liar, pants on fire!” No, what he actually, said was, “No, but you did laugh.” The writer of Genesis explains, She laughed, “for she was afraid.” (Genesis 18:15)

The man’s parents were afraid of the Pharisees and of the consequences of telling the truth. Instead of standing tallo pool and bearing witness to the power of God, they ducked their heads in the sand. They were the ones who were blind, and, so often, so are we.

The Pharisees finally gave up. They threw the once-blind man out of the synagogue. Not long after, Jesus returned. He found the man and asked him,

“‘Do you believe in the Son of God?’
He answered, ‘Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?’
Jesus said to him, ‘You have both seen him,
and it is he who speaks with you.’
He said, ‘Lord, I believe!’ and he worshiped him.” (John 9:35-38)

Jesus said, ‘I came into this world for judgment,
that those who don’t see may see;
and that those who see may become blind.’
Those of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things,
and said to him, ‘Are we also blind?’
Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would have no sin;
but now you say, “We see.” Therefore your sin remains.'” (John 9:39-41)

Let’s wrap it up. Four groups, all blind:

• The disciples, stuck on the mundane level, unable to see the big picture.

• The friends, stuck in the past, unable to recognize the transforming power of God’s love.

• The Pharisees, stuck in the Torah, unable to think outside the box.

• The parents, stuck in their fear, unable to speak out.

Each represents us in some way.

The Good News is it’s no shame to be blind. In the eyes of faith, blindness is a virtue. Jesus’ only words of condemnation were to those who claimed to see. To the rest he was patient and forgiving. For example, Mark says,

“But when he saw the multitudes,
he was moved with compassion for them,
because they were harassed and scattered,
like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36)

What stands in the way of knowing God’s love is not blindness, but self-deception: When you think you’re are strong … when you think you’re righteous … when you think you have sufficient faith and understanding to make it on your own … that’s when you’re sure to come up short.

Only as you’re willing to fall on your knees and rely on the mercies of God will you ever know the peace of God’s grace and love. As Moses told the people of Israel,

“Don’t be afraid.
Stand still, and see the salvation of Yahweh,
which he will work for you today…
Yahweh will fight for you,
and you shall be still.” (Exodus 14:13-14)

Here’s the bottom line: If you’re willing to confess your blindness – your lack of faith and understanding – your dependence on the mercies of God – God will open your eyes and show you the way. Jesus said,

“I am the light of the world.
He who follows me will not walk in the darkness,
but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

Look to Jesus, whatever situation or circumstance you face, and he will help you know what to do, what to say, and how to respond, so as to experience the fullness of life and the joy of his salvation. John Stockton has the closing word:

Come, every soul by sin

03/09/2026

Kids Zone

We had 22 kids and 4 adults today at Kids Zone. We learned about Moses and how as a child God took care of him and God will take care of us, and as an adult, when Moses didn’t feel adequate to talk for Pharaoh about letting the people free, God said you can do hard things because I will go with you. This means God will be with us when we have to do hard things too. Exodus 3:12.

03/07/2026

Sunday, March 8, 2026

Combined Worship Service Sunday March 8th at Barnard UMC 11:00am
Grant Presentation from Trista Soendker-Nicholson from the Missouri United Methodist Foundation.

The presentation and service will be followed by a taco bar for anyone attending.

Prayer list: all of our young people participating in their competitions! Prayers for those dealing with illness, loss of loved ones, financial challenges, any other issues. Prayers for our military personnel and all others under threat of war. Prayers for world leaders to make the right decisions.

Call to Worship

Come, let us worship God!
Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

Come, let us worship our Shepherd!
We are the sheep of God’s pasture, and we follow where God leads us.

Come, let us open our hearts!
We receive God’s love poured into our hearts through the Spirit.

Come, let us worship God, the rock of our salvation!
Let us worship God, whose mercy guides and sustains us on the path of new life!





OFFERTORY PRAYER

Steadfast God of Hope, you have called us to rejoice—not in ease or achievement—but in the grace that sustains us through suffering, the love that meets us in struggle, and the hope that does not disappoint. You pour your Spirit into our hearts, shaping us into a people who give not out of obligation, but out of gratitude. As we bring these gifts, may they testify to your presence among us and to the promise of reconciliation you offer the world through Christ. Make us bold in our sharing, joyful in our worship, and confident in your grace. In the name of the one who died for us and lives within us, we pray. Amen.

Benediction

Go now in the blessing of God’s mercy that companions us all on the journey, opening our hearts to receive and share God’s steadfast love until all creation resonates with the joy of new life. Amen.

Scripture John 4:5-42

Guest Speaker:

Trista Soendker-Nicholson

Missouri United Methodist Foundation

03/02/2026

We had extra copies of the Upper Room Devotional Guides that have been left in the Barnard post office. Please feel free to take one!

02/28/2026

March 1, 2026

Prayer list: praying for peace in our world and a return to cooperation in our country. Prayers for our military members. Prayers for the sick, grieving, lonely, depressed, disenfranchised.


John 3:1-17

3:1Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews.

3:2He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with that person."

3:3Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above."

3:4Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?"

3:5Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.

3:6What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.

3:7Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.'

3:8The 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."

3:9Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?"

3:10Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?

3:11"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.

3:12If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?

3:13No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.

3:14And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

3:15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

3:16"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

3:17"Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him.



The Gospel at Night

“It’ll be dark soon,” Arthur says in the 1968 western “Firecreek,” starring Jimmy Stewart and Henry Fonda. “Things happen at night.”

I’m hardly a fan of scary movies, but let me ask you… have you ever seen one that portrayed its frightening scenes during the day? If strange and terrible things are going to happen, they are going to happen at night.

The story of the Pharisee named Nicodemus is told only in the Gospel of John. That means, simply, that we do not have any other accounts in the New Testament from which we can draw a comparison. John seems to go to great pains to let us know the influential Nicodemus comes to see Jesus at night.

What do you think we ought to do with this? Do you think we make too much of it? Maybe Nicodemus had a busy schedule and that’s the only time he could get away from the office. Or, how about this…

It is known that many of the theological discussions and debates among the Pharisees and other religious leaders often took place at night. We can just see the Pharisees, after dinner, as they make their way into the library with a glass of wine in one hand and a cigar in the other. There they debate the great theological issues of their day. Or at least what they think are the great theological issues of their day.

It could be that this is simply the way Nicodemus operates. He is used to wrestling with the important issues of life at night, and he decides to do the same with Jesus. It might have been a sign of respect, even, that Nicodemus is treating Jesus like one of the guys, one of the rabbis, a colleague. He’s acknowledging Jesus as a member of the fraternity by coming to him at night.





Or perhaps Jesus is sensitive to Nicodemus’ position as a Jewish leader and doesn’t want him to be made guilty by his association with the upstart carpenter/preacher. So Jesus suggests they get together when no one else would know. Maybe that’s just the way it happens. No big deal.





Except… John is big on small details. He has a way of interjecting little items or hints that provide important elements to the way he tells his story. The chances are pretty good that he wouldn’t have mentioned that Nicodemus came to see Jesus at night unless it has a deeper meaning.

They do it on television and in the movies. Something is mentioned in a conversation, or a small element is brought into the story. It may just be a camera shot. At the time, there doesn’t appear to be anything to it, but you know it’s going to come into play later in the story. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have bothered to include it as a part of the drama. The same is true with John. He’s telling us something here by informing us that Nicodemus has come to Jesus at night.

John also mentions that this occurred during the Jewish celebration of Passover. In the other gospels, Jesus doesn’t go to Jerusalem until late in his ministry. Here, John has him going near the very beginning, and it is while he is there that he cleanses the temple of the money changers and animal sellers. Talk about getting everybody’s attention! It happened in the full light of day, and it occurred early in Jesus’ public ministry, not during the last week of his life as the other gospels tell it.

There has to be a reason for this. John has changed the itinerary all around, and he has done it for a purpose. What gives?

Well, at this point in his public ministry, the jury is still out in regard to Jesus’ credentials, not to mention his agenda. But Nicodemus is intrigued enough to search him out, even if he chooses to do so at night. Is Jesus a true prophet or just a troublemaker? If he is a prophet, Nicodemus wants to know him better. If he is a rabble-rouser, Nicodemus needs to know that too, for he is a leader of the Jews and an important part of such leadership is determining what is true and what isn’t.





Jesus presents yet another, new challenge for Nicodemus and his colleagues, so Nicodemus has decided to check Jesus out. He shows an inquisitive but reserved respect for Jesus. There’s something in him that says Jesus doesn’t fit into the Jewish religious system, yet he has something about him that none of the other rabbis have.

He’s been around the block a few times, Nicodemus has, and he knows how the system works. He is aware of how it can eat up a man who dares color outside the lines, who shows some original thought, who takes matters into his own hands. Nicodemus sees such promise in this young Nazarene, yet he sees trouble brewing as well. So he does what a good leader should do. He goes directly to the source… and he does it at night.

“Rabbi (he uses a title of respect, doesn’t he?), we know that you are a teacher who has come from God.” We… who’s we? Does he mean “you and I”? “You are I know that you are a teacher who has come from God.” Is he speaking for the rest of his leadership group? “All of us Pharisees, we know that you are a leader who has come from God.”

Do you know what the word disingenuous means? It means “sly,” and implies that Nicodemus is being coy with Jesus, not wanting to speak directly. Is that what he is doing when he uses the word “we”? Could it be that he is protecting himself by using the plural “we” as opposed to “I”? After all, there’s safety in numbers. Or is he truly representing the group and not just himself? There’s a lot of conjecture in that little word “we,” isn’t there?

“No one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Nicodemus has seen something in Jesus that has intrigued him, but from the conversation that follows, we will see that Nicodemus has witnessed just enough to make him curious, perhaps, but not enough for him to understand… at least not fully.





That happens sometimes. I am reminded of a story John Claypool told a number of years ago. A family had been living in Richmond, Virginia while the father had been assigned to do work there. Their home was near Monument Avenue, one of the major thoroughfares in Richmond. It is where statues have been erected in honor of the Confederate generals of the Civil War, the most notable, of course, being the one of Robert E. Lee. Lee is shown sitting on his horse, holding the reins of his bowing steed. The only caption of the monument is fond on the base, and it simply reads “Lee.”

This family had a young son who enjoyed playing at Lee’s statue. Word comes that the father is being transferred to another city. On the day they are moving, the little boy asks his father if he can play one more time at Lee. “Sure,” his dad says, “in fact I’ll go with you.” After awhile, the boy is told they need to leave. “Dad, I do have one question before we go.” “Yes, son, what is it?” “Who is that man sitting on Lee?”

The boy had noticed what he wanted to notice, and knew just enough about the statue to see it but not to know the significance of it. Is that Nicodemus? “We know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.”





Ah, signs. The Pharisees show up in other places in the gospels as well, demanding that Jesus show them a sign of his authority. The Pharisees are big on signs and they are big on authority. Jesus has come into their living room, so to speak, stealing their thunder. They’re not very happy about it because they’ve got a good thing going in the religious system of Israel. And make no mistake about it… it has become a system.

Over the years the Pharisees have developed a litmus test for all would-be messiahs, and it’s based on signs. Do the right signs and do them for the right reasons – and of course the Pharisees determine what are the right reasons – and if you pass the test you might – you might – gain their endorsement. Of course, it hasn’t happened yet, but you never know…given the right circumstances, given the right Person, it could happen. It could happen.

Nicodemus has come to Jesus at night to see if he, theu young Nazarene, might just be that right Person. He does do signs, that’s true. In fact, he’s really good at it. Nicodemus is intrigued with Jesus. He has obviously come from God, but does that make him Messiah material?

When Jesus says that the only way for a person to come to the kingdom of God is by being born from above, Nicodemus doesn’t get it. Like the little boy who can’t see Lee for his horse, he doesn’t get the meaning of what Jesus says, who Jesus is, or what all these signs really mean.

And Jesus, who appears to be a bit disingenuous himself, does not answer Nicodemus directly. “Amen, amen, I tell you,” he says, “no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”

Actually, the word has a double meaning. When Jesus says, “No one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above,” it could also mean born again. It’s like this… suppose someone has something in his hand and he holds out both hands telling you that before you can have it you must choose which hand it is in.

That’s what Jesus is doing with Nicodemus. He offers him a word that can mean at least one of two things. Anothen could mean either “from above” or “again.” Nicodemus chooses the latter meaning. “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” “Daddy, who is that man sitting on Lee?” And when Jesus opens up his hand it is empty. Nicodemus has made the wrong choice. He can’t see the forest for the trees.





Fred Craddock tells about a young man who had been one of his students. But before he went to seminary, the man was a special education teacher. He left teaching because he found it, he said, to be too hard. It culminated one November when school resumed after Thanksgiving break. As he tells the story, he went up to a beautiful little girl on the playground, called her by name, and asked her, “How was your Thanksgiving?” The little girl stared blankly and said, “My shoes are red.” There was something in her brain, the young man explained, that wouldn’t let her connect with the world around her. The only thing she could say was, “My shoes are red.” Her response, he told Craddock, just broke his heart. And so, he chose to take his life in another direction, one he thought that might not be so hard emotionally for him to do.

Craddock says that not long after he was in Dallas visiting some friends. They went to church together on Sunday morning. The music was most inspirational, Craddock explains. The prayers were well thought-out, the sermon was strong, a good and challenging interpretation of the scripture. The congregation sang the hymns with meaning, and when the benediction was spoken, Craddock says, he didn’t want to move. He was truly inspired by the experience. He just wanted to sit there for awhile and let it soak in slowly.

Just at that moment, a man who had been sitting in front of him, turned and extended his hand. “So,” he said rather loudly, “you think Tom Landry’s going to coach the Cowboys this year?” “You know what he was really saying?” Craddock asks. “He was saying, ‘My shoes are red.'” He just didn’t get it.

If one’s faith is based solely on what one can see, John is telling us, that faith is insufficient for the kingdom. It will not hold up when life treats us in such a way that a deeper spiritual force is required within us.

We have a tendency to rush through this story to get to verse 16. We all know verse 16, don’t we? And verse 16 is indeed most important. But this interesting conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, that took place at night, is really set up by something that is said earlier in chapter two. Speaking of Jesus, John says, “When he was in Jerusalem during the Passover festival, many believed in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing.” That included Nicodemus, you see. “But Jesus on his part,” John explains, “would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to testify about anyone; for he himself knew what was in everyone.”

I would remind you that in the original story written by John, there are no such artificial dividers as chapter and verse. It is immediately after John writes this – “for he (Jesus) himself knew what was in everyone” – that he says, “Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews.” Nicodemus, the way John tells the story, is a living, breathing illustration of the kind of person Jesus did not trust. Nicodemus could see with his eye, and what his eye is looking for is a sign. Jesus says the kingdom is made up of much more than signs. It is made up of those who are born from above, who see spiritual/heavenly things that are not necessarily noticed here on earth.

We do have some sympathy for Nicodemus. He treated Jesus with respect, which seems to be more than was true of a number of his colleagues. But, that doesn’t mean we should necessarily want to be like Nicodemus.

You want to know why I think Nicodemus came to Jesus at night? No big surprise or new revelation. Nicodemus is cautious… he is careful and calculating. He has a lot to lose in revealing his sympathy for the young rabbi from Nazareth. But sometimes caution can prevent us from reaching out to what cannot be seen with the naked eye. It can keep us from seeing the presence of the kingdom. And when we stand in the presence of the kingdom, we do not want to be found saying, “My shoes are red.” Even if we have come to the kingdom at night.



Benediction

Reminder!

Father, help us to see the kingdom even as we live in this world. To do it, we must be born from above. It is our prayer that you would give us such a birth, as we seek to be your children. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.