3rd Sunday after Denaha - 25th Jan 2009

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Reading: From the Gospel according to St. John 3: 1-12

Dear and Respected Brethren,

Today's reading is explaining the audience of Nicodemos, a ruler of the Jews, a Pharisee by birth, with our Lord Jesus Christ. As soon as he met our Lord, he expressed his first hand impression and understanding about our Lord without any addition or deduction. He said "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles that you does except God be with him." From this statement we could easily understand the nature of Nicodemos. Firstly he is an exceptional Pharisee, as all other Pharisees were always trying to ridicule our Lord and to find fault in His words and deeds. From his own words we realize that he had a sincere and innocent approach in analyzing things that happened around him. He had no prejudice or misunderstanding. Nicodemos spared the night, the time when the nature as a whole is taking rest, to expose his mind and expressed what was thumping there to our Lord. And he did it well. Of course it was a noble and excellent gesture. In our daily lives we often fail to appreciate the good in others. Most probably we often find fault with others rather appreciating his or her good deeds or words. Secondly his faith in God was strong and staunch. He had a good understanding about the nature of God and God's qualities. He was sure of the positive effects of being in God. Even if we know the truth, we might not express them as they are. Nicodemos expressed what he believed and what he understood as they were to our Lord. It is a very good guide line and example for us in our daily lives.

Our Lord's reply might be strange for at least a few of us. He did not respond to a word uttered by Nicodemos. Our Lord said "Verily verily I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." In our understanding what is the kingdom of God? In simple words we could define the kingdom of God as the dwelling place of God. As God is everywhere there is no limit for His kingdom also. Our Lord was telling Nicodemos that if he could admit and agree that Lord is from God, he has to be with God and in God. And suggested the way how Nicodemos could attain the abideness with and in God. The re-birth is the net result of genuine and real repentance. We the Christians have accepted the baptism, in which we all have died with him and resurrected and though it we have gained the life with and in the resurrected Christ. The re-birth is the occasion when and where we might leave away the previous life style accepting a new life style with and in Lord Jesus. The Holy Church provides the Holy Confession for her children to get the rebirth, by leaving away the sinful lives to live with and in Christ. We are supposed to wash ourselves in tears during the Holy Confession.

When Nicodemos asked his question of re-birth in the normal human understanding, our Lord confirmed that if a man does not take baptism of water and spirit he could never enter the kingdom of God. In verse 7 we read, "Marvel not that I said unto thee, you must be born again." Here also our Lord is insisting for the instantaneous need of retaining the mutual relationship with God. This is what our Lord is expecting from each and every one of us. He is only anxious about our willingness to retain our abideness with Him. Let us examine ourselves and try to see how much we all are interested in keeping strong link with our Lord God.

In verse 8 we read, "The wind blows where it listens and thou hears the sound thereof, but cannot tell from where it comes and where it goes; so is everyone that is born of the Spirit." Nicodemos could not grasp what was meant by our Lord and hence he astonished: How could this happen? On almost all occasions we are also thinking exactly like Nicodemos. Our Lord told about the wind and the sound made by the wind and these things are known to one and all. Nicodemos might have expected something greater and complicated answers from our Lord, as our Lord was from God Almighty in his faith and conviction. Our Lord's reply to Nicodemos is significant. In verse 11 we get the answer of our Lord. "Verily verily I say unto thee, we speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen, and you receive not our witness."

In our normal lives, we often speak that we do not know and testify that we have not seen. And hence we transform ourselves as advocates of hatred, enmity and anger rather than being apostles of love, compassion and kindness. Let us re-route ourselves. Let us be good witnesses of Lord Christ in this world and the world to come.

May God bless us all

Jose Kurian Puliyeril