Loving God, your servants throughout the ages have shown humility and courage in their encounters with you and service to others.  By your Holy Spirit, empower us with those same qualities as you call us into service, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Saviour.  Amen.

            Have you ever noticed how humble and courageous Nicodemus is?  He is – as we are told – a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin.  In other words, he is one of Israel’s religious leaders.  Yet, he approaches Jesus with respect, and is not afraid to ask lots of questions.  While many of his colleagues feel threatened by Jesus and dismiss him as a trouble-maker, Nicodemus has paid attention to what Jesus has been doing and teaching.  He sees the presence of God at work in and through Jesus, and he wants to know more. And so, he comes to Jesus at night – perhaps to sit around the fire for a while, and to have a conversation about the kingdom of God.

         In this conversation, they talk quite a bit about new birth, or new life – being born from above, or born of water and the Spirit.  It is this new birth that will allow people to both see and enter the kingdom of God.  While Nicodemus initially misunderstands this new birth as a purely physical event – re-entering the womb and being born again – being born of water and the Spirit involves both earthly and heavenly things.  The water, of course, is the earthly element, and the Holy Spirit is both heavenly and spiritual.  Just like in the beginning, when the Spirit moved over the waters, so water and the Spirit are both part of the new creation in Christ…. Humility and courage.

         Have you ever noticed how humble and courageous Isaiah is?  We actually know very little about him, but we do know that he lived during a very traumatic time in Judah.  The Assyrian Empire was always threatening, and they attacked and took over the Northern Kingdom of Israel during Isaiah’s lifetime.  We also know that he had an amazing and yet terrifying vision in the Temple “in the year that King Uzziah died” (Is. 6:1).

         Isaiah’s vision is of a God who is too big to actually fit in the Temple.  In fact, the Temple can only hold the hem of God’s robe!  In the presence of this God, who is not only holy, but thrice holy, Isaiah is immediately aware of his own sinfulness and the sinfulness of the people of Judah.  “Woe is me,” says Isaiah.  “I am lost” (Is. 6:5).  He does not expect to survive in the presence of such a holy God.  And so, a seraph flies over with a burning coal, touches Isaiah’s lips with it, and announces that Isaiah has been cleansed from sin.  Then, as Isaiah bows his head in gratitude, he actually hears the voice of God.  “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”  And Isaiah says, “Here am I; send me!” (Is. 6:8).  Humility and courage!

         Have you ever noticed how humble and courageous Jesus is?  For, in spite of being the Son of God, he was willing to be born as a human being and live a life of humble service – even though he knew what awaited him at the end.  He knew that he would be lifted up on a cross just like Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the wilderness (Jn. 3:14).  He knew that he would be lifted up in the most vulnerable position that we can imagine, while abuse and insults are hurled at him.  But he also knew that eternal life and salvation for us would be the end result.

         It was God’s love for the world that sent Jesus to live and die among us – a mission that required plenty of humility and courage.  In living, dying, and being raised from the dead, Jesus made it possible for us to receive eternal life and salvation through faith in him.  This is a faith that also requires both humility and courage.

         Humility is needed in our understanding (or lack thereof) of the God who has been revealed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Humility is needed as we are called to follow Jesus in a life of service to others – especially those whom we might consider to be beneath us.  Humility is needed in acknowledging our own sinfulness and giving thanks for the grace that is ours through Jesus.

         At the same time, courage is needed in order to ask lots of questions and to answer God’s call to ministry and service.  Courage is needed to advocate for the “least of these,” even when it might be unpopular to do so.  Courage is needed to experiment with new ways to share the love of God with all people.

         We still need humility and courage, but we have an advantage that Nicodemus and Isaiah did not have.  We have been given the Holy Spirit, who not only supplies us with humility and courage, but also empowers us for every ministry to which God has called us.  Thanks be to God!  Amen.

The Holy Trinity (B)                         John 3:1-17

May 30, 2021                                   Isaiah 6:1-8

St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church

Pastor Lynne Hutchison

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