Daily Affirmations - Day 1 - What Basis? - The Ultimate Authority

This week's Theme: What Basis?

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Day 1: The Ultimate Authority

Years ago, at the start of my teaching career, a staff member approached with me a teenager in tow. From her bearing and demeanor I gathered this was not to be a friendly encounter. I was right.

She had come to criticize the application of a concept I had taught the child and her classmates. Loudly, reproachfully, the staff member detailed how wrong I had been, and what the correct approach should have been.

It turns out that she was right. I thought I knew the concept, but I had taught the application incorrectly—either because I had misunderstood it, or because it had also been taught to me incorrectly.

It was certainly not the last time I would be wrong, or make a mistake, or to recognize that, as my friend would say, "You don't know what you don't know!" In this life, neither I, nor you, nor any other human can ever live a life free from mistakes, errors miscalculations, or lapses in judgment.  But while it is easy to admit we all make mistakes, it is more difficult to handle public criticism, humiliation, or feedback given with harsh or belittling intent.

I take great encouragement in the gospel account of Jesus' interaction with Nicodemus, a Pharisee...a member or the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night... (John 3:1-2). Like me, Nicodemus struggled with some basic things— in this case spiritual things (I sometimes struggle with those, too!), and he had had seen enough in Jesus to recognize a different kind of authority that could only come from God (John 3:2)

Jesus did not "shame" Nicodemus, even as He pointed out that the teacher lacked the essential knowledge he needed in his role: “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?" (John 3:10). And then the Lord proceeded to teach the teacher what he needed to know and teach.

Jesus showed Nicodemus (and us) that the deficiency is not in "not knowing", but in not wanting or seeking to know: "We speak of what We know, and We testify to what We have seen, but still you (plural) do not accept Our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?" (John 3:11-12).

Jesus met Nicodemus where he was. He challenged the teacher to examine the authority on which he based his "knowledge". Going to the root of the Pharisees' distortion of Moses and the Law to form the basis of their religion, Jesus showed Nicodemus that One greater than Moses was the true foundation of faith (Hebrews 3:3-6)— that it was the Son of Man, not Moses, who was the ultimate authority:

"No one has ever gone into heaven except the One who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in Him” (John 3:13-15).

Today, as then, the question— the challenge remains for us to examine the authority on which we base our "knowledge". In the natural as well as in the spiritual realm, we can hold firmly to whatever confirms our traditions, biases, and preferred beliefs, rationalizing or ignoring mounting evidence to the contrary.

We can trust in our own "knowledge", or in the authority of fallible humans like ourselves, or choose a state of blissful (or not so blissful) unawareness, not caring that "we don't know what we don't know." Or we can choose, like Nicodemus, to honestly seek, to have an open spirit, and to acknowledge what clearly comes from God who alone makes known the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10).

We do not have a full picture of what happened in Nicodemus' life after this encounter with Jesus. Perhaps he believed and took to heart the words of Jesus, "'You must be born again...' For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:6-7, 16).

For later, after the crucifixion, Nicodemus came with Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple of Jesus, to ask Pilate for the body of Jesus. Together they wrapped the Lord's body with spices in strips of linen... and laid Him in a new garden tomb (John 19:38-42). Jesus had clearly made a profound impact on the struggling teacher.

As for me, I too, still sometimes struggle with what I don't know. But the wisdom and maturity of years have taught me greater diligence in asking, in researching, and in praying for and trying to apply greater discernment. And I continue to learn the life-long lessons in giving and receiving grace, courtesy, love, and respect, and in responding appropriately even in difficult situations.