NEBAB #57 The Great Fast: Nicodemus

 NEBAB #57

The Orthodox Tewahedo Magazine

THE GREAT FAST (LENT)

WEEK 7: NICODEMUS

The Spiritual Education Unit

Ethiopian Orthodox Church

Archdiocese of the Caribbean and Latin America

In this issue:

    1. Commentary on the Gospel: John 3:1-12

    2. We know that You have come from God 

    3. Faith and works

    4. “Ask Abba/Kes”

    5. Miracle of the Virgin Mary

    6. Children’s corner

    7.ይበል ግዕዝ 

    8. Orthodox Q&A

 

Commentary on the Gospel: John 3:1-12 

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In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, One God, Amen

This week of the Great Lenten Fast is dedicated to Nicodemus who was present with Our Lord Jesus Christ. This man named Nicodemus, was a ruler of the Jews and belonged to the sect of the Jews who were called Pharisees. The name Nicodemus is a greek name which means "victor over the people." Because he was a ruler of the Jews, he was a member of the Sanhedrin which is the highest council of the Jewish nation. Among the Jewish leadership, Nicodemus was one of the very few who responded to the divine call. In fact when we scope out the New Testament, Nicodemus is among the very few figures who experienced such intimate, one on one interaction with our Lord Jesus Christ at night.

"This man came to Jesus by night"

Whenever the Evangelist John refers to Nicodemus, he connects him with his visit to the Lord Christ at night, and he repeated this three times in this book. In John 3:2, John 7:50 and John 19:39

Why did Nicodemus come to Jesus by night?

There are several reasons that reminds us of why this encounter by night:

1. Nicodemus felt that it was not enough to hear Jesus' public talks or to enjoy seeing His public miracles, but he needed a quiet session with the Lord Christ concerning the salvation of his soul. He needed a personal dialogue with Him. Malachi 2:7 "For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth." 

If the only begotten Son often withdrew from the crowds and even from the close disciples to spend the whole night in delightful conversation with the Father, does not each one of us need to leave everything and sit, especially at night, with his Christ to enter into a personal dialogue with Him and enjoy the new life and fellowship with Him?

2. Perhaps out of wisdom, Nicodemus he chose the evening because the Lord Christ was busy all day with public service, so Nicodemus waited until the evening to meet the Lord in a time of rest, in a friendly conversation

3. Perhaps, being amazed by seeing some miracles, he seized the first opportunity for a personal meeting with Him. While everyone was asleep, he wanted to spend a spiritual evening with the Lord Christ, and perhaps he feared he might not find such an opportunity in the future. He was an opportunist! He imitated David the prophet, who often seized the opportunity of the night for meditation (Psalm 36:6; Psalm 119:148)

4. Perhaps also the motive for his coming by night was that he feared the news would reach the chief priests, and they would become more agitated against the Lord Christ, or they and the rulers and Pharisees would harm Nicodemus himself. Perhaps he lacked the light of faith; he was attracted to the person of Jesus, but he had not yet known Him closely, nor recognized His reality as the Light of the world. He was a Jewish leader and a teacher of Israel, needing the new birth to enjoy new concepts of the Messianic heavenly kingdom. In the weakness of his faith, he came by night, and he found the door of his Lord's heart open, and He did not hurt his feelings with a single word of reproach. In any case, his faith was like a living mustard seed that grew and appeared as a great tree when the Lord Christ died, and he courageously came forward to ask for the Lord's body.

According to St. John Chrysostom "Although he came to Jesus, since he came at night, he continued to speak through the darkness of his body. He did not understand what he heard from the light that enlightens every man coming into the world."

We might learn from Nicodemus to go to the Lord Christ ourselves, speak with Him, and have fellowship with the Holy Scriptures and the sacraments, rather than just hearing about Him from others.

Nicodemus began his conversation by showing respect to the person of Christ, calling Him a teacher, a term with special significance among the Jews, not used for just anyone. He also expressed faith, although his faith needed confirmation, which was the reason for the visit, as previously mentioned.

Glory be to God Forever, Amen!

We know that You have come from God

When Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, he came as an ambassador of the Pharisees. "We know that You are a teacher come from God", he said- not "I know", but "we". This was the common understanding among the Jewish rulers, and one part of their inconsistency. As far as the Jews were concerned, it was evident that Jesus was from God, and at the same time, they could not acknowledge it, for fear of undermining their own authority and power among the Jewish people. The chief priests and elders had a similar problem with John:

Matthew 21 (KJV)

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²⁴ And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.

²⁵ The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men?  And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?

²⁶ But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.

²⁷ And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

The Jewish leaders' problem with John the Baptist was that they found themselves condemned by his presence, his words and his works- not because John came to condemn, but because when they saw and heard him, they refused him. For mankind, condemnation does not come from outside, but from our own conscience. This is the gift of free will, and of a rational soul- that she is not judged by anyone, but judges herself. Our Lord explained this perfectly to Nicodemus:

“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

  — John 3:19 (KJV)

Readers, do not point your fingers at the Pharisees and mock them- the Pharisees are our hearts! We know what comes from God, it is evident to us, but like the Pharisees, we conspire against our own lives and blaspheme our Lord by sinning against Him. We love darkness rather than light because it hides our evil deeds- failing to realise that the light we run from, that reveals our sickness, is the very same Light that heals us. 

Faith and Works: Nicodemus Came to Jesus By Night

Like Nicodemus, who sought our Lord in the quiet of the night, sit with Jesus for 1 hour at night this week. Step away from all distractions and enter into dialogue, reflection and prayer. Nicodemus came to our Lord with questions, uncertainty and a desire to learn and Our Lord Jesus Christ by no means cast him away or put him down, even in his ignorance (Nicodemus)

You may choose to contemplate also on:

The Mystery of the Holy Trinity

Your own new birth in baptism

The words of scripture in John 3:21

This week as you sit and practice listening, allow the Holy Trinity to speak

Ask Abba/Kes

What is the best religious book you read other than the Bible?

The book written by St. Isaac, the Syrian. It deals with the life of seclusion and tranquility. St Isaac is the man who was chosen to be Iraq's bishop, but he left the bishopric to go and worship

BIBLE QUIZ!

Nicodemus is referenced in 3 places in the gospel of John- what are they?

A Miracle of the Holy Virgin Mary

There was a certain man in the city of Alexandria, and on the twenty-ninth of each month he was performing Our Lady’s commemoration in [honor of] how she conceived and birthed the Savior of the World.

[On those days,] he would give 33 denarii to the poor, apart from the anointing of oil, which he placed upon their heads, which made them greatly happy, and he sent them out in peace. He lived in this manner for many years.

When the time of his rest grew near, he commanded his son and recommended to him, saying, “Know your commitments. Do not cease from performing the feast of Our Lady Mary on the twenty-ninth of each month. Because on [the twenty-ninth is] the Annunciation of Gabriel, and also on it she gave birth to our savior, Jesus Christ. As for me, I found a lot of grace because of this [commemorating].” After saying this to [his son], he died in peace.

That son lived a full year performing the commemoration of the feast of the Mother of Light when it was the twenty-ninth of each month, but in the second year, heretical doubt entered the heart of that son.

He thought to himself, “If I continue to be subject to this deed, then my money will disappear, and my forefather’s inheritance [will be lost to me]. I will become the one who is receiving charity before I die.”

He determined in his heart to cease performing her feast. And on that night, Our Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him in the likeness of a luminous man. He said to him, “Behold, I will show you tightness of chest [i.e., make you anxious] concerning a little bit of charity which you will give because of your forefathers. Do you not know that everything that you give charitably, it is I who am receiving it from you?”

He said to him, “Who are you, my Lord? Because your speech is very eloquent, and it has reinvigorated all my bones. I beseech you to tell me your name and what I should do so that I might be saved from this grief which [now] surrounds me?”

Our Lord responded to him and said, “If you want to know my name, then I will make it known to you. I am the Son of God the Father, who is omnipotent and all-embracing. I am Jesus Christ, the only begotten of the Father. I am the son of the Virgin Mary. I am Jesus, king of the heavenly things and the earthly things, in all their ranks and kinds. I am the Lamb of God, who carries the sins of the world. From the time when you prepared your heart and stretched out your hand to help the poor, I was the one receiving from your hand, and I have written them [i.e., your acts] for your sake in the book of life.” Having said this, he disappeared from his sight.

And this man, having heard this from the mouth of Our Lord, rejoiced and was happy. He praised God while saying, “You are righteous O lord God, all-embracing, because you have remembered me, and you have exposed to me what my heart was thinking.”

From this day forward, he did not cease to perform the feast while rejoicing and being glad all the days of his life.

When Patriarch Abba Yolyonas was in his residence after the [last prayer of the day,] the prayer of sleep [or, death], he heard a voice that said to him, “My dear archbishop, arise and wake up! So that you might see the joy and rest [or, death] that will come to that blessed man you have forgiven many times. And look now, he is departing from his flesh, and I have raised my eyes toward the east, and I see three angels coming to receive his soul.

“And I, having observed, I saw one of them sitting around the [dead] man’s head and another by his feet, while comforting his soul until it departed from its flesh. As for the third angel, I saw the angel stretching out the linen of light, and he took the soul of that man and brought it heavenward with him. I heard a voice saying, take this soul, which has been performing mercy upon the needy, and bring it into heaven so that the soul may rest [with] all the saints.”

Have you seen, my brothers, those who have placed their trust in God and upon his Virgin Mother, and who have done mercy to the poor and needy on her feast? He will find great glory in this world, and also in the one to come.

May her prayer and her blessing be with our King Yohannes and our queen Sabla Wengel forever and ever, amen.

O Holy Virgin Mary, pray for us!

LIJOCH! The Children's Corner

ይበል:ግዕዝ (yibel Ge’ez)

Let's reclaim our forefathers’ language

ሌሊት

lelit - night

"You have proved my heart, You have visited me in the night"

This week, some light vocabulary:

ሌሊት lelit means night (plural: ለያልይ leyaley - nights). You can specify that it is midnight by saying ንፍቀ ሌሊት nifqe lelit or መንፈቀ ሌሊት menfeqe lelit. From this we can get the verb አሌለየ aleleye meaning to spend the night doing something, or to rise early during the night to do something (see Psalm 119:62).

ORTHODOX Q&A

Who then, is the Christian Believer?

He is not one who advocates a notion of God, but rather accepts God as a god to him, or as the center of his whole existence, guiding and directing his entire life.

This means that the essence of Faith is for God to become "my God." That is to say, he becomes the absolute point of reference for all of my affairs and I am to obey Him not only in my external behavior, but in my thoughts, desires, all of my feelings, so that He rules over my heart. This is the meaning of the word "orthodox" (sound or right doctrine). An Orthodox Christian is a believer who lives a right life in God.

Send us your questions at: seu.eotccarla@gmail.com

Short message on behalf the Spiritual Education Unit:

His Grace Abune Thaddaeus, Head Administrator Archimandrite Abba Gebreyesus, and all clergy and faithful- thank you for the opportunity to share this labour of love with you. Thanks also to the team of the Spiritual Education Unit for their hard work.

-Liqe Teghuan Tekle Mariam Greene

References

Miracle of Mary: https://pemm.princeton.edu/en-us/stories/156

Commentary by St. Markos Church, Egypt and Fr. Malaty

Coptic Orthodox Faith My Church - Pope Tewadros the Second

Christian Behavior According to The Saint Pope Kyrollos The Sixth

Nicodemus’ Journey: What His Story Teaches Us About Faith

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CONTACT US:

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Tel. 868-642-4230.

e-mail: eotc.arch.carla@gmail.com

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