HUMANISM - A False Religion Holding Back From God

 

As I work on this, it is, "Laetere Sunday," a word meaning 'rejoice.'
    However amidst the joy of today, we examine a very common problem in the world of men.

Readings

    Our readings for today (Readings) remind us of REBIRTH in Christ through our baptism.

    The first reading relates the edict of Cyrus, the king of Persia, who released the Jews to rebuild the temple and restore what God had given them.

    The second reading is an extract from St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians where he emphasizes the gracious gift of faith God gave them, even when they were sinners.
They are REBORN and united them to Christ, and now have the right to share in His glorious resurrection and inherit heaven with Him, and through Him.

    The Gospel account, however, is both joyous and a bit sobering - and it bears a review:

"Jesus said to Nicodemus:
'Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, 
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light,  so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God."

    It is from the 3rd chapter of St. John, verses 14-21. It contains the popular line, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish, but might have eternal life."
    And that is joyous, for sure,
    But there is a bigger, more sobering point beyond that cherry-picked item.... one that lies in the CRUCIAL point of the final line of the reading

Nicodemus Holding Back

    The man with Jesus in this account from John is Nicodemus, one who was sympathetic to Jesus - but with what seems a half-open mind about Him.

    We know this about Nicodemus....

- He was moved by Christ's teaching and miracles.
- He defended Our Lord before the Jewish court on the grounds that all deserve an impartial trial.
- He helped to have Jesus properly buried when his enemies had him put to death.

    BUT, he does not appear to be, "All-In" with Jesus, we might say.

    Now, there is the belief that Nicodemus was a secret convert of Jesus, and in the Gospel he DID figure prominently as a defender of Jesus before the Sanhedrin.
    But there is no mention of him in the first Christian community of Jerusalem, as we find with other converts. So we don't know just what might have happened to him, and there is no evidence that he ever truly converted through baptism, and full faith in Christs redemptive power.

Really, though, it is this passage as it relates to our reflection today, which moves us to ask, "What held him back? What kept him from giving himself fully to Jesus?"

    Here was Jesus, who spoke so kindly, worked countless public miracles, and who made it abundantly clear that he was a teacher who had come from God, Himself..., and that he had been offered by God as the sacrificial victim who would save the world.
    Yet Nicodemus held back.

    He purposefully sought Jesus for counsel, and he had seen the power of Jesus in action.
All that remained was to accept Jesus, "believe in him," and be baptized. Then he, too, would have eternal life.

    But, as far we are accounted of him, he never did this.
    Why did he NOT go "all in?"

    The answer is given in the beginning of his story..."He came to Jesus by night."
    This isn't mentioned within this selected passage, because it is back a little ways in the Scripture. This is why you have to read all around a particular passage for the full context, and not cherry-pick verses.

Worldly Influences

    You see, Nicodemus was one of the leading Pharisees in the region. He knew that when things turned against Our Lord, the other Pharisees would remember if he was seen as an associate of Jesus.

    Worse yet, how dreadful might their reaction be if he went, "all in" as a follower of the one they called a demon and a blaspheming impostor against God?
    In short, Nicodemus was tied to the world of men, and he was afraid of their reaction.
        Only half of his mind was open to the truth.
The other half was ruled by his worldly fear of what his own class — the leaders of the Jews — would think of him... and what they might do to him.
    He put his eternal happiness at risk, for fear of losing the present respect of the world and his sinful associates.

    "What a foolish man!" we might be tempted to say.
But that is because we have the benefit of hindsight. Yet, how many of us are like Nicodemus, when it comes to standing up, and living up, to our following of Christ?

For example...

- There are Catholic men and women who would like to, and should, go much more often to Mass and partake in the sacraments, like Holy Communion.
But they are afraid of what family, friends and others might think of them. Worse for them, they might have left the Church, convincing themselves that it has no place in their lives.

- There are also many - far too many – "active" Christians who shrink from defending or standing up for their religion, when it is insulted and attacked in their place of work or some other setting...like, say, on Facebook.
Maybe worse, they don't willingly – joyously - promote their faith when given the chance.

- There are other Christians who stand idly by and giving what amounts to silent approval, when grave injustices are being carried out by individuals, or by local, or national groups.
"Hey, if they chop up and vacuum away babies still in the womb – well, it's their body, it's their right," these Christians might say.

    These, and many more like them, are modern day versions of Nicodemus. Through fear of losing the approval and worthless esteem of their sinful, worldly associates... they are prepared to forfeit the esteem of God and their own eternal welfare.

    Nicodemus probably thought he had made reparation when he assisted at Christs burial. And he may have, for all we know.
What value, however, had that work of mercy for one who seemed not to do it in the name of God through Jesus?

The Flaw of Humanism
Which is where the second part of today's Gospel passage enters into the discussion.

    There are amongst us today who like to call themselves, "humanists," most of whom are likely ex-Christians in some form or another.
    These are men and women who make assisting their neighbor, while excluding Christ and God from those actions, the essence of what they call, "doing good."
    While the assistance for the neighbor will benefit HIM materially, what spiritual or religious value can it have for the so-called 'humanist' who excluded God and our Savior Jesus Christ?

    "Humanism," "Do-Goodism," "being nice to others," or whatever else you choose to call it is indeed concentrating on ones neighbor - but to the exclusion of God.

    Lets review the last line of today's passage...

"But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God."

    Ultimately, some good is done for the other fellow by humanists, yes. No doubt of that.
And like Nicodemus, that is where they stop.  It is their entire stock in trade. 

    On the other hand, helping our neighbor because he or she is a son or daughter of God is part of OUR true faith, and is the second of the two great commandments of love.

    But helping a neighbor from whom we have wiped away the image of God has not, and cannot, have full saving value.

    They will say they don't believe in God, or that they don't need God or religion to "do good"... and it does beat doing evil, certainly.
    But, it is merely supplanting the saving grace God bestows upon works of mercy done in HIS name, for a false kind of manmade, pseudo-religion...complete with slogans and T-shirts.

    Truth be told, it is like lighting a candle before the photograph of a wife or husband which one has deliberately deserted.

The Real Solution
    Thank God, we have accepted Christ with our whole heart and our whole mind.

    It is through HIM that we have been made sons and daughters of God.
    It is through him that we have learned to love God and learned of God's infinite love for us.

    Because all people are God's sons and daughters, our brothers and sisters in Christ, we devotedly help them whenever and wherever we can... because GOD has commanded us to do so, and we are following His directive.
    This is true human-ism, which sees in the neighbor the workmanship of the almighty Creator, and which is uplifting God's creation.
    What is more important still, it has a dual benefit action, because it also elevates for us the effects of sharing in the saving grace of the Divine Savior... simply because we don't hold back.
We are all in for Christ!

- Adapted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.