The Voice Underneath the Voice

This was a tough one to preach just because the words of John 3:16 are soooooooooo well known. But thank goodness I listen regularly to NPR when I'm driving and can catch snippets of programs that help me find a good frame for my message!

See what you think. 

Text: John 3:14-21

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The other day as I was driving to meet a client for a massage session…I was listening to an interview on the radio with the United States Poet Laureate Ada Limon.

She was speaking to a live audience in San Francisco…sharing some of her poetry…which draws upon her love of nature…from both her childhood in California and her home in Kentucky.

A young third grader got the last question.

This sweet little voice asked Limon, “Why do write poetry?”

I love how children get to the very basic questions…the things we adults don’t even think to ask.

And I also loved Limon’s response. You could hear her smile as she spoke back to this little girl.

She described poetry as “the voice underneath the voice.”

She said she can be her truest self…on the safe space of a page…and give voice to those things that are at the center of her heart.

What a lovely description of that inspiration to create poetry!

And what a beautiful way to describe what it means to put one’s truest self down on a piece of paper.

The more I thought about that answer…the more I thought how it fits so well with describing scripture…particularly today’s Gospel lesson from John.

The evangelist John writes in ways that are meant to provoke our imagination…because John’s purpose is to make the strongest connection to Jesus as God…the embodiment of Love on Earth.

In the reading we had today…we’re dropped into the tail end of the heady exchange that Jesus has with the Pharisee Nicodemus.

I’m often puzzled by people who immediately assume that this conversation is an adversarial one.

Again….I think that’s because there’s been some misguided teaching in the church. Because Nicodemus is a Pharisee…the assumption has been he’s a foe and an opponent of Jesus.

I’ve heard some diss Nicodemus because he approaches Jesus “at night” to ask him questions about his teachings.

What we must remember is that this is John’s Gospel….John’s very poetic…metaphorically-rich Gospel.

And John uses “light” and “dark”, “day” and “night” for dramatic effect.

So….it makes sense that this first encounter between Nicodemus and Jesus happens “at night.” Much later in the Gospel…we’ll see Nicodemus return…once to step in to stop an attempt to arrest Jesus (7:50)…and then after Jesus’ crucifixion…Nicodemus comes with myrrh and aloes to prepare Jesus’ body for burial according to Jewish customs (19:39).

He moves from dark…to half-light…and finally to full-light.

But back to this conversation that’s happening at night.

Nicodemus…a pillar of his community…goes out to have something of an intellectual discussion with Jesus.

Rabbi to Rabbi.

There’s actually a lot of respect going on…with Nicodemus acknowledging Jesus as a teacher who had come from God.

But as the conversation unfolds…what Nicodemus finds is that Jesus is no ordinary… learned Rabbi.

Instead…he’s being met with an intellect that is way more than what he had bargained for.

Nicodemus hears Jesus talking about “being born from above” and “being born of water and spirit”.

Nicodemus wonders if one must enter the womb a second time.

And Jesus is like, “Oh, man! You’re being too literal. Don’t you see?  How can you teach the people of Israel if you cannot hear the voice? And then detect the voice underneath the voice?

Why can’t you get that you must renew your heart and your mind?”

Jesus then references the scene from our first reading in Numbers…a scene in which Moses raises up a snake on a pole as the antidote to poisonous snake bites.

By looking upon the bronze serpent…the Israelites…who had been kvetching about Moses and cursing God for their misery in the wilderness…are made well from their snake wounds.

Jesus uses this analogy to foreshadow the healing he will bring to the world…albeit at great cost to him in his death on the cross.

And then we hear the words that have become so familiar to us:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have everlasting life.” (3:16)

We’ve all seen that phrase and know those words.

Many a football fan has made sure we don’t miss that verse any time somebody is kicking a field goal or an extra point.

There’s always going to be that guy holding up a “John 3:16” sign in the bleachers.

But the voice underneath that voice…underneath those words…comes in the next five verses.

“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.” (3:17)

When we think about it…Jesus came into the world to teach the world…to teach us…how to live in Love.

Jesus came into the world to show the world…to show us…how to treat all things…people…animals…the planet we live on…with respect and dignity.

To serve as stewards to one another…help and guide each other through the ups and downs that come with living.

Give respite to those who are weary…and receive the aid from those who offer to shoulder some of our burdens.

To find ways to incorporate people into community…not push them away or allow our prejudices to prevent someone from knowing the love of God.

But…as Jesus also notes…even when offered the chance to make this turn toward a better future…a more hopeful vision…and a Godward direction…” the people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.” (3:19)

The people…when given the chance to look to Jesus….believe in his teachings…amend their lives…start really practicing living in beloved community with one another…will instead opt to go back into themselves…their ego-driven ways of self-protection.

This is where greed begins to take route and when we start building up walls with the “us” on one side and the “them” on the other.

And this is the behavior…this clinging to a self-centered instead of a God-centered outlook wishing to fashion and shape a world where we are the dominators…that ultimately puts Jesus on a cross.

This truth that Jesus shares with Nicodemus sticks with this particular Pharisee.

And we can see how these words ultimately move him in a direction of such concern for Jesus and what he represents that he interrupts an attempted arrest…and later pays due respect by assisting Joseph of Arimathea with the burial.

We’re deep into Lent…the moment for us to take time with ourselves to examine our lives…and how we are living into putting our belief in Jesus into daily practice.

Where are we hearing that voice underneath the voice that frees us to show more love…more compassion toward each other and all of creation?

Which parts of us prefer darkness…and remain fearful?

When we gaze upon the cross….can we muster up the courage to lay down our need for control and our pride in being right…and allow more light into our lives and accept those changes we must make in our lives?

“Those who do what is true come to the light.”

Do not be afraid.

In the name of God…F/S/HS.