Risk

Job 13: 13-15

Philippians 2: 25-30

John 3: 1-17

Risk

For years, the opening of "The Wide World of Sports" television program illustrated "the agony of defeat" with a painful ending to an attempted ski jump. The skier appeared in good form as he headed down the jump, but then, for no apparent reason, he tumbled head over heels off the side of the jump, bouncing off the supporting structure down to the snow below.

What viewers didn't know was that he chose to fall rather than finish the jump. Why? As he explained later, the jump surface had become too fast, and midway down the ramp, he realized if he completed the jump, he would land on the level ground, beyond the safe sloping landing area, which could have been fatal. Surprisingly, the skier suffered no more than a headache from the tumble. To change one's course in life can be terribly risky, a dramatic and sometimes painful undertaking, but change is better than a fatal landing at the end.

This is the problem Nicodemus is having. Jesus tells Nicodemus that he is facing a fatal landing if he does not change directions. But Nicodemus knows only one way and that is the way of earth. It is the only way that any of us knows. Suddenly Jesus appears on the scene and begins speaking of Heaven, of being Born Again. Nicodemus hears the words "You must be born again," but he is confused. So he asks, "How can a person go back into his mother's womb and come out again?"

It is surprising to us that Nicodemus is so confused. He's a religious leader and should understand spiritual lessons but somehow he feels he has missed some crucial truth. And, there is a reason he is going to Jesus. He has an inkling that Jesus might be able to provide that missing important detail. Nicodemus has somehow been headed in the wrong direction and now he must change his course. This he knows but Nicodemus seems hesitant. He seems uncertain about making such a drastic change. Why? What makes this remarkable man slow to take Jesus at his word? What is confusing him?

Nicodemus was an educated man, one of the Pharisees who were devoutly religious and held positions of authority in the community. To them Jesus, who after all came out of the backwater province of Galilee and an even more backwater town of Nazareth, was an illiterate trouble maker, threatening not only their understanding of scriptures, but also threatening their security and the stability of their country.

But, I think what was bothering Nicodemus the most was his reluctance to take a risk. First he knew if he was seen by any of his fellow Pharisees he would be ostracized. His reputation would be damaged, and he might lose his place in his society, and he might lose all his friends. He might be able to come up with an excuse for his visit that would save some face, but certainly, if he became a follower of Jesus his life itself would be at risk.

Nicodemus took a huge risk in his secret night time visit to see Jesus, but risks are sometimes necessary for growth and change. Alex Haley, the author of "Roots," said this about taking risks, "Nothing is more important. Too often we are taught how not to take risks. When we are children in school...we are told to respect our heroes.... What we are not told is that these leaders...were in fact rule-breakers. They were risk-takers in the best sense of the word; they dared to be different" The signers of our Declaration of Independence were rule breakers who took terrible risks. They were men of stature with much to lose, and most of them paid a dear price for signing that document. Abraham Lincoln made many risky decisions during the Civil War, and died as a result. All through Scripture, and all through Christian history, people have taken great risks, making it possible for us to be here today.

In the Hebrew scripture we read earlier, Job was tired of hearing his friends analyze his problems. He wanted to confront God directly, to defend himself even if it meant death.  In the letter Paul wrote to the Philippians he points out that his good friend took great risk and nearly died to help Paul. All through scriptures you read of people taking risks to be obedient to God.

Jesus himself made it clear to all his followers that if they wanted to continue to be his followers, they would have to be willing to take risks, perhaps the risk of their lives. He makes it clear to us that to be his followers we have to take risks too, to reach out to those who might reject us, or think us strange.

Father Henri Nouwen, a Catholic author whose 40 plus books on spirituality are excellent reading,  reflected  on the story of Nicodemus, and wrote, "I love Jesus but want to hold on to my own friends even when they do not lead me closer to Jesus. I love Jesus but want to hold on to my own independence even when that independence brings me no real freedom. I love Jesus but do not want to lose the respect of my professional colleagues, even though I know that their respect does not make me grow spiritually. I love Jesus but do not want to give up my writing plans, travel plans, and speaking plans, even when these plans are often more to my glory that to the glory of God."

Upon reflection Father Nouwen realizes that he isn't all that different from Nicodemus. He writes, "So I am like Nicodemus, who came by night, and then said safe things about Jesus to his colleagues."

The baseball manager Leo Durocher was once asked who was the all-time favorite player he had coached. Lots of people were shocked when he named Dusty Rhodes. Rhodes was a little known pinch hitter, not a really big name player. Durocher was asked, "What was so special about Dusty Rhodes?" He replied, "In a tight game when I looked down the bench for a pinch hitter, most players would avert their gaze and refuse to look in my direction. But Dusty Rhodes would look me right in the eye, smile, and tap on his bat." He was always available.

New birth is more likely to happen to persons who take the risk and make themselves totally available to God. There's an element of Nicodemus in all of us. It's always easier to play it safe and keep Jesus off in the distance than to take the risk and accept him as the Lord of our life. We need to know, however, that we cannot always put him off.

The bottom-line is that risk-taking is the only road to success. Venture capitalists take big risks, because it is the only way to make great gains. They are calculated risks, but risks nonetheless. They do their homework, study the situation, and consider the potential gains. And the same is true for people of real faith. Only unlike venture capitalists, we are promised by God that by accepting Christ as both Savior and Lord we will have the reward of eternal life.

How much faith does it take to follow? That's the crux of the discussion between Jesus and Nicodemus. How much risk are we willing to take?