Living Stones – Monday, November 20, 2017
Night move
John 3:2
This man [Nicodemus] came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
Much is often made of the fact that Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, much of it is negative. The story of this famous night time visit is recounted in John 3:1-21. Nicodemus came to Jesus under the cover of darkness but encountered the true light.
In the dead of night, Jesus said the most profound words to this Nicodemus. The most memorable words of the Bible, known even by those who care not for the scriptures, are in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Many remember these words but forget that they were told to Nicodemus while he was on a night move.
Night moves are often necessary because of the dangers that exist by day. It may seem unusual for the day to be described as dangerous, but for people who are vulnerable, the day brings exposure that is a risk for them. In our society, we are so quick to judge, condemn, and put away, that many in our midst are afraid to come forward to deal with the things that they are up against.
For example, many abused women and children are living in fear of their abusers, and, new laws notwithstanding, remain reluctant to speak openly and honestly to the police, social workers, religious ministers, and the courts. We know that where there is no confidence in the persons taking the reports, and where there is no evidence that the system could be trusted, the only way to get useful information is to depend on an underground contact. Someone who is involved in night moves.
As Christians, we have a responsibility, as ministers of the new covenant, to be open to those who need to come, under the cover of darkness, in search of help, healing and hope. There is no place where this case is more powerfully made than in second Corinthians chapter six verses one to ten. Paul lists a variety of circumstances under which, as ministers, we must be available and persevere on behalf of those to whom we minister.
Whatever the conditions or circumstances, “in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; we must persevere.
The way society is ordering and reordering itself today, many of us are easily removed from those who need our help. The nature of the social structure often means that no one is going to feel comfortable turning up at our house unannounced. People also are nervous about calling our house after a certain time. Much of this is understandable and respectful of the many pressures and demands on our lives, but much of this is unfortunate because it highlights the distance that has been created between those in need and those who could help.
Every time someone in very developed societies commits suicide, or a mass murder or something of the kind, the place the investigators go to first to find out about the person is their Facebook page and other social media accounts. They go to the most antisocial of places. But they go there to see who the person was reaching out to rather than to the homes of the minister, or leader, or friend they were talking to. This makes a lot of sense because often if they were talking to a real person the outcomes might have been different.
Jesus must be our example. Jesus was clearly unconcerned that this was a night time visit. He is unconcerned about the time of day or night and, thank God for that because it means that we could go to Him in our darkest hour and He’d be there for us. Likewise, we should be there for our brethren and for those who are seeking to find the truth in a difficult hour.
Nicodemus didn’t stay in the darkness. Once he met Jesus and came into the light he was prepared to stand up for Him when it became necessary. The day Jesus died, Nicodemus operated in the light, John 19:39. Jesus, whose body he took care of, had brought him forcefully into the light. There was no longer a need for night moves.
Staying in the light and bringing others into the light is one of the things that distinguishes us as children of God. The Apostle John, writing again much later says this, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
Think on these things:
- Have you ever had a need to talk with someone in a midnight hour and couldn’t find anyone?
- Do you have any relationships in which persons would feel comfortable about reaching out to you despite time and circumstances?
- Have you ever had the opportunity to share the hope of the Gospel with people who are in a dark place?
Prayer focus:
Let us pray today that, we would be ministers of God’s grace who are available to people even in their darkest hour.
In His Grace
Pastor Alex