Devotion
When Honest Confusion Is Not Unbelief
“How can these things be? asked Nicodemus. Are you a teacher of Israel and do not know these things? Jesus replied.' - John 3:9-10”
The smartest religious man in the room finally admits he is lost. And Jesus keeps talking to him anyway.
Jesus' question sounds sharp, and it is meant to land. But it is a diagnosis, not an insult. Nicodemus has reached the end of his expertise, and Jesus names it plainly rather than letting him pretend otherwise. Then notice what Jesus does next. He does not shut the conversation down, water the truth down, or hold anything back for a more qualified audience. He keeps going, straight into the heaviest things he has to say. Nicodemus being unprepared did not mean he did not need to hear it. It meant he needed to hear it more.
Practice
Somewhere along the way many of us learned that saying 'I do not understand' is the same as saying 'I do not believe.' It is not. Nicodemus says it out loud, in front of Jesus, and Jesus keeps teaching him.
Prayer
Jesus, here is what I do not understand, and here is the one thing I am holding onto. Thank you for not requiring me to have it all figured out before you would speak to me. Keep teaching me. Send me someone to ask, and make me the kind of person others can ask. Amen.
This Week’s Message
This devotion follows along with this week’s message.