Nicodemus . . . is He Seeking the Lord . . . or Merely Curious?

Follower . . . Or Merely Curious?

Fr. Hugh Gillespie, SMM

Nicodemus . . .

N icodemus is a fascinating character in scripture.

He appears by name, only in St. John’s Gospel. Nicodemus appears early in St. John’s Gospel (cf: Jn 3) as a member of the Jewish leaders. He is curious about Jesus and comes to Him at night . . . in the darkness.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks to Nicodemus and he learns from Him. Later in St. John’s Gospel, Nicodemus stands up against the other leaders. Yet as he is challenged by the leaders, he says nothing. He appears again on Calvary. He is there when Our Lord is taken down. We also hear that he has over 100 pounds of ointment to take care of the body of Jesus. Hear more within the audio.

Nicodemus sits with Jesus as he arrives in the darkness. When he leaves, it is still dark. He is fascinated by Jesus. He has a certain degree of support for Jesus . . . but he has a degree of tentativeness about him.

. . . is He Seeking the Lord . . .

Nicodemus is odd, because we never see him make a clear act of faith. In a way, when we think about it; there are many Christians today that are more like Nicodemus . . . than the disciples. We have been baptized; we have a degree of esteem for Jesus; but many waver as to our faith. Are we really going to give ourselves to Jesus . . . or not?

Our understanding of Nicodemus appears around the world in Christian communities. They believe Jesus is great to have around. They spend some time during certain times of the year . . . paying attention to Him. However, most times, if other things come up . . .they are important too!

. . . or Merely Curious?

Amazingly, if you see Nicodemus in art, paintings, and even certain stations of The Cross, all of the characters (Mary, the Holy Women, St. John, etc.) have halos. Nicodemus, often, does not.

At Fatima, if you look at the outside stations art, one will see most of the characters with their eyes closed. This represents the blindness of faith . . . which sees clearly. As for Nicodemus, his eyes are half way opened and half way closed. He is caught between blindness and the sight of the world. Nicodemus is between belief . . . and unbelief. He is between following the Lord . . . and not following.

Nicodemus is never hostile. In fact, he is never a bad guy. But he is also not particularly good. Listen to more about Nicodemus. Listen to the comparison of the world, and its spirituality, and what a good Christian is called upon to do. Hear more about Nicodemus . . . is He Seeking the Lord . . . or Merely Curious? Mediate on this Media set.

Nicodemus Coming to Christ II: American Painter: Henry Ossawa Tanner: 1924-1927

Tanner was one of the first African American artists internationally recognized in the late 1800s and early 1900s. He painted a similar name version, but different looking painting of Nicodemus and Christ in 1899 that is, perhaps, more well known.