RBWords

     One of the characteristics of the Gospel of John is its use of opposites and contrasts that are stark and confrontational.  To understand better the portion of the "Nicodemus" discourse in today's gospel scripture, one can go back to the "Prologue" to the gospel and see the light and darkness contrast and the rejection/acceptance themes.  The "themes" that appear in the Prologue will appear over and over again throughout the gospel.  The confrontation is also expressed in a kind of legal way.  One is confronted with a choice and has to make a judgment.  The gospel writer is looking back at the life of Jesus and gives an overall picture which is expressed in the words, "And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light...."

     However, the gospel is not simply the story of what happened to Jesus in first century Palestine!  We, too, are confronted by Jesus and his "light."  I think it is comforting to read several of the encounters in this gospel to see how various characters come gradually to the light:  the Samaritan woman (Ch. 4) and the Man Born Blind (Ch. 9).  Others, like Peter and Thomas, have to be confronted more sharply.  How much "light" can we take?  What is our own darkness?  Notice in the gospel that Judas' betrayal and Peter's denial take place at night.  Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night.  He (Nicodemus) seems to drop out of the conversation quickly in this chapter, but we might benefit from recalling his words at the beginning of the encounter:  "Rabbi, 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...."  There is a glimmer of faith in Nicodemus.  How bright is the "glimmer" in us?  AMEN