My sermon on March 5, 2023 at Bluegrass United Church of Christ in Lexington, Kentucky.
The audio is available at kennybishop.com/podcast or on your favorite podcasting service.
John 3: 1-17 (NRSV)
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God."
Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above."
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?"
Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?"
Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 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.”
I never met my dad’s dad, my grandpa Bishop. I’ve heard lots of stories about what a character he was. People who knew him said he was always laughing, always had a wild tale to tell that he swore was true but was always right on the edge of unbelievable, and that he was always happy.
As a matter of fact, that’s what everyone called him, Happy. His name was George, but for most people, Happy was the only name they ever knew him by.
It was so much a part of who he was that it was inscribed on his gravestone so people would know where to find him if they ever wanted to visit.
I’d like to be remembered that way. I’d love it if when people thought of me, the word happy came to mind.
I’ve heard so many stories about my Grandpa George Happy Bishop. All of them sound so colorful and sometimes even a little quirky.
One story goes way back to when he was a young man. He’d gotten himself a job with a plumbing company as a plumber’s helper. When the plumbers got a call to go do a job, George went along to assist, maybe provide a little more torque, or just another set of eyes and hands.
The story says that one day it was nasty and rainy, George and a plumber were on their way to a job when they came up on a farm gate. As the wind was blowing and the rain was pounding the truck, they both just sat there looking at the gate. Finally, after a long minute or two, the plumber looked over and said, “Well, George, are you gonna get out and open that gate?”
George was taken aback. “What do you think they hired me to do?” he asked.
“They hired you to be my helper.”
“Well then,” he said. “Get out there and open that gate. If you can’t do it, I’ll come out there and I’ll help you.”
That, my friends, is knowing what a helper is.
Apparently, both of them laughed for a while, then the plumber got out and opened the gate - in the rain - without my grandpa’s help.
Mason and I live in a wonderful little neighborhood not far from here. It’s a nice little street where the neighbors look out for each other. Most of the houses were built in the early to mid-1900s - ours was built in 1930 - and there are lots of wonderful big, old trees. Normally, we love the feeling of knowing those big branches and all the creatures who live in them are out there above our heads. But this past Friday was a different feeling. As I stood outside looking up at those twisting, swaying, heavy branches, I felt a little scared.
Last Friday afternoon and night were like nothing most of us had ever seen. Several years ago I was on the coast in Southern Mississippi when a small hurricane blew in. They called it small, but the wind it produced was more than I’d ever experienced. What we saw this past Friday topped it.
In a matter of a couple of hours, we watched trees that were here long before any of us, our parents, and even our grandparents give in to the wind and topple.
This is one that was on our street. It’s one of three or four there that couldn’t withstand the wind’s force - and now it is gone.
In the late 1600s, America’s first president hadn’t been born. As a matter of fact, George Washington’s father wasn’t born yet when the big bur oak out on Harrodsburg Road here in Lexington started taking root - some estimate around 1690ish. The great tree would predate all of the American presidents and outlive all but six of them. It survived the American Revolution, the Civil War, droughts, diseases, development, and more wind, rain, hail, and lightning than any of us could ever count. The history that came and went, the historic events that took place over the life of this tree is unimaginable.
But the unprecedented winds of this past Friday night were more than it could stand.
What an image it was all those years. And it survived for so long partly because of the people who were dedicated to preserving it as much as they could. Over the years, people stepped up to protect it, to fend for it, and to help it survive.
The stories we’ve seen all over Lexington and all over Kentucky the last couple of days as neighbors and friends and total strangers have found themselves in need have shown us that we are surrounded by helpers.
I’ll be honest with you - I’m not always good at letting others help me. Part of my problem is admitting that I need help. For whatever reason, in my mind, I don’t want to admit that I’m not capable of taking care of myself. But truth is, sometimes I’m not.
I think that’s why I’m able to relate so well to Nicodemus.
I love this story that we read a few minutes ago about this guy who really wanted to get to know Jesus. Nicodemus was not just no one. He was a well-known leader among the Pharisees. As a matter of fact, he was a member of the Sanhedrin which was the supreme Jewish legislative and judicial court. He wielded some influence and power. He was well known for being smart about the law. When CNN needed a talking head to represent his side, Nick was their guy.
People on the streets knew him. He was recognized as that guy in the papers, on tv, and in the news. That’s likely why it was necessary for him to track down Jesus and to learn from him under the cover of darkness.
Another thing that Nicodemus and I have in common is being rule-keepers. Sometimes I wish I was more of a rebel (like Pam). Of course, some people from my past would say that the life I’m living now is anything but by the rules - but they’re talking about religious rules that they’ve either inherited or contrived that God never ever intended.
I’m talking about the kind of “rules” that, if we keep them, they’ll somehow earn us a special place in God’s mercy - or favor.
Nick approached Jesus much the way I do sometimes - and maybe just like you do. He came to Jesus wanting to know more about this loving God he wasn’t familiar with, but worried that he didn’t deserve that lovliness.
This Lent series that we will be enjoying these next few weeks was developed by our dear friend and worship designer Marcia McFee. I love her description of this interaction between Jesus and Nicodemus.
“Oftentimes we believe that we must “deserve” the love we receive. We work, work, work to get approval and to feel like our life is justified - pulling our own weight, thinking that whatever life we create, and any love we get is only what we ourselves can conjure up. But this story offers the image of God as our “keeper” - always helping, always present.”
She goes on, “Nicodemus has followed all the rules and done everything HE can do, and yet he is still looking for love - for tangible connection with God. Jesus says that he must be born “of the Spirit.” It’s not all up to simply “doing the right thing!” It is about allowing the Spirit to help birth love in our lives.’
Wow! I love that!
In these verses, in a matter of a brief conversation, Jesus tells this very learned and religious man, Nick, that he has to let go of his ego, loosen his grip, relinquish some control, unlearn some things he thinks he knows about God, and let God reshape him.
In just a few words Jesus basically said, “Nicodemus, my whole reason for being here is to help you. You are a smart man, an influential man, a man of great authority. You say your prayers, you read the scriptures, you give your tithe, you’re in church every time the doors are open. I know your family. You come from good blood and noble stock. You are what so many others aspire to be. You know the letter of the law and you keep the rules really well. But, Nick, it’s not about knowing all the answers, and having all the solutions, and being able to explain why and how God does things. It’s not even about religious rule-keeping. It’s about letting go and letting God be your helper.
“Nick, you know God as the record-keeper and the rule-maker and the task-master and the gate-keeper. But I want to invite you to know God in a whole new way that may take some meekness and humility. I want you to give it a chance - to give God a chance to simply be The Helper.”