The confusion Nicodemus expresses about being born again captures the human condition well. We think we know how the world works, but the teachings of Jesus tend to show us that we don’t. Over and over in the gospel, we are shown that humans can’t see. We can’t find the eye of the needle even though the path has been straightened. We can’t understand how to share the loaves when so much need is before us. We can’t muster the faith to walk on water without sinking in our own doubt and fear. We can’t hear the cock crowing every time we hide from the light. In John chapter 3, Nicodemus has sought out Jesus and proclaimed that he is a great teacher from God, and yet when Jesus tells Nicodemus that in order to see the kingdom he must be born from above, Nicodemus does not see. In fact, he asks, “How can this be?”

So, how does one see the kingdom? How is one born from above?

We are all born from our mother, but each new day of our lives, we wake. Each morning, we open our eyes for the first time. Like the sun that rises each day but isn’t really rising, we open our eyes, and we either see the world that our mother bore us into or we see the world that the teaching of Jesus has revealed to us. We either see a world of water, or we see the world of the Spirit. We either live in a world where we think the sun is rising into our view, providing us light, or we live in a world where we are rising to the Son of Man’s view and sharing his light.

To make it even more challenging in verse 8, Jesus goes on to tell us: “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” For years, I have found that statement to be one of the most intimidating sentences in all of scripture. I know that it is God’s will not mine in any action I take, but reading that the wind blows wherever it pleases is a metaphor that makes it all too real. Trying to capture or control the wind that blows around us might almost seem manageable, as is our arrogant human way, but what if there is no wind or worse yet if we build walls that block it?

When we look to the kingdom of God, we see the creation of God. When we see all that God has created, we should be humbled and feel awe.

May I wake each day and pray that I renew my efforts to be led by the Spirit. Each day, may I confess my shortcomings, knowing that I am forgiven before, during, and after my transgressions. May I always look for the kingdom of God. May the Spirit allow me to seek the eye of the needle. When I break the bread, may I share it? Help me step into the puddles with hope. May I look to the light. At each moment, I hope to feel the gentle touch of the breath of the Spirit. As I turn my head toward the world and I open the door, I pray that I have the faith to keep looking.

Father, let us see the light that You shine on our path. May we not look in the wrong direction. May we not hide from the grace and love that is there every day before us. May we seek to bring the children of God from water into Spirit. May our breath be as gentle as the Spirit. May our strength be the strength of Christ. May our eyes see the work of the kingdom, and may we share it with all whom we encounter. Amen.

This devotional was written by Jill Pope and read by Susan Daves.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

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