Painting by John La Farge, 1880.
In today’s Gospel reading, we encounter Nicodemus, a Pharisee who comes to Christ under the cover of night. He is a man of authority and learning, and unlike most of his colleagues, he approaches Jesus with an open, but obviously restless, heart. “Rabbi,” he says, “we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.” Nicodemus believes in Him, yes, but he is still cautious, searching. Still hidden in the darkness.
Christ responds with a teaching that goes far beyond anything Nicodemus expects: “Unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus is, of course, baffled. Confused. The faithful member of the Sanhedrin does not understand what Jesus means, though he desperately wants to. “How can a man once grown old be born again?” He asks, his mind already muddled, stuck only on what he can see. Man cannot possibly reenter his mother’s womb, he tells Jesus. So, to him, this makes no sense.
Christ goes on to explain that this new birth is “of water and Spirit.” What is born of flesh remains flesh, but what is born of the Spirit is entirely new. This is not just about becoming a better person. It is about being changed from within and receiving a new life from God. This is the life we are given in Baptism, where we are made new!
Jesus then compares the Spirit to the wind, which “blows where it wills.” He also reminds Nicodemus that “you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” All we can do, then, is to surrender everything to the King of Kings.
In many ways, we can already see this at work in Nicodemus. Though the Pharisee does come in the dead of night, the Spirit is already “shaking things up.” His questions and uncertainty are not signs of failure. They are, in fact, the opposite!
We often experience this, too. At times, we may sense a gentle pull towards God. It might be the urge to pray again, or the feeling that something in our lives needs to change. Like the wind, these moments are subtle and easy to overlook, but they matter all the same. We are, in short, being invited to take up our crosses and follow Him!
And just like Nicodemus, we may not see where God is taking us, but if we remain open to it, the Spirit will guide us out of darkness and into the light. After all, as St. Francis de Sales once said, “The will of God will not lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you!”