Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent - March 16, 2013
Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent
John 7:50 – 53
Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?”
They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”
Then they all went home.
Those in positions of privilege and power most always want things to remain as they are. These persons enjoy the benefits of the system, and mostly are interested in keeping those benefits for themselves.
In modern parlance, they are the “conservatives,” those who want to conserve things as they are. They see no reason to change, because a change in the system might mean that they lose their privilege and power.
Those in control are never in favor of revolution, in other words.
Revolution, change, and transformation tend to be the language of those on the bottom, those who are not have power, those who are ready for a new system.
In modern language, these are the “liberals” who want to change the system or replace old systems with new systems.
It takes a very large-souled person to be in a position of privilege and still be open to change . . . moreso, to advocate and work for that change. It means that person may lose their position or privilege if change actually comes; yet, this person is willing to open himself or herself to that possibility for the greater good.
Nicodemus shows up in Jesus’ field of vision several times in the Gospels. His contemporaries and peers resisted Jesus at every turn. They had too much to lose by embracing him. Nicodemus, though he was a part of the privileged caste, seems to stay open to Jesus, open to change, open to newness . . . perhaps not just for his own sake, but for the greater good.
John 7:50 – 53
Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?”
They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”
Then they all went home.
Those in positions of privilege and power most always want things to remain as they are. These persons enjoy the benefits of the system, and mostly are interested in keeping those benefits for themselves.
In modern parlance, they are the “conservatives,” those who want to conserve things as they are. They see no reason to change, because a change in the system might mean that they lose their privilege and power.
Those in control are never in favor of revolution, in other words.
Revolution, change, and transformation tend to be the language of those on the bottom, those who are not have power, those who are ready for a new system.
In modern language, these are the “liberals” who want to change the system or replace old systems with new systems.
It takes a very large-souled person to be in a position of privilege and still be open to change . . . moreso, to advocate and work for that change. It means that person may lose their position or privilege if change actually comes; yet, this person is willing to open himself or herself to that possibility for the greater good.
Nicodemus shows up in Jesus’ field of vision several times in the Gospels. His contemporaries and peers resisted Jesus at every turn. They had too much to lose by embracing him. Nicodemus, though he was a part of the privileged caste, seems to stay open to Jesus, open to change, open to newness . . . perhaps not just for his own sake, but for the greater good.
Comments
Post a Comment