For Sunday
Trinity Sunday

Collect

Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Reading

From John 3:1-17

“Nicodemus 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?””

Reflection

In movies, it rains when people are sad and storms when they are upset. This isn’t a new idea, of course, as the storm plays a similar role in King Lear. For Nicodemus, the night not only shadows his intentions, but reflects a metaphor that will permeate the gospel.

Nicodemus is introduced to us as a scholar and a leader. One who knows the tradition and teaches others about God. And yet, he is clearly “in the dark” about a lot of it.

And yet, when we see him next, he will stand up for the just use of the law (John 7:50-51) and then with Joseph of Arimathea, stepping forward to care for the crucified Jesus (John 19:39–42). He steps up in the moment, but we might also say that he “steps into the light” when the rest keep hiding.

Now, as Nicodemus comes to Jesus for help, he isn’t ready to open himself up. Not fully. He keeps hiding. From others and Jesus, of course. But also from himself.

In the exchange about being born from above, I usually read Nicodemus as being sincere, but literal. But now, it seems quite the opposite: insincere and fake. Almost condescending. The experience of too many arguments with bad faith. Maybe he isn’t taking Jesus literally, but using his words unfairly. Like a dispute on social media. They both know that’s not what Jesus is saying. Nicodemus is just trying to “own” Jesus.

Fortunately we don’t get to see his transformation. That, too, happens in the dark, away from our prying eyes. And yet, when we see him again, two more times, he will be changed each time.

I think we spend a lot of time worrying about how to change other people. But Jesus doesn’t.

There isn’t a trick. It isn’t only about being nice. Or owning an opponent. Or even having the better argument. God changes us when we’re open to it. And it isn’t up to anyone to watch it happen. But it often comes to us when we choose to let our guard down.