The Gospels for yesterday and today (Jn 3:1-15), put us in the scene with Jesus and the renowned Pharisee, Nicodemus, who came to Jesus under the cover of darkness to ask questions about his ministry.  We are led to believe that Nicodemus must have seen or heard of Jesus’ healing miracles and wanted to learn more about him.  We know that Nicodemus eventually converted to be a secret follower of Jesus, so we can surmise that his curiosity was genuine and not a ploy to trap Jesus.

The fact that he came to meet Jesus at night may also give us a clue about his intentions.  A nighttime rendezvous would be less conspicuous.  If he was genuinely interested about Jesus, he may have feared being observed by other Pharisees that could result in his condemnation and rejection.  In his position, he would have accumulated wealth that supported a luxurious lifestyle, which would have been jeopardized if his clandestine meeting had been discovered.

When I placed myself in this scene, I pondered Nicodemus’ motive and his dilemma.  He had to satisfy his curiosity for truth, but the answer could result in his ruin.  His fear of the environment and exterior influences would ultimately cause him to lead a secret and unfulfilled life.

There are millions of Nicodemuses in our world today – men, women, and teens, who are searching for truth, who are curious about Christianity, and who would like to know more but, because of negative social influences, balk at publicly asking questions for fear of what others will think or what they might lose.  They are hiding out there in our workplaces, our schools, and our neighborhoods.  We should be looking and waiting for them with intentionality, ready to answer their questions and allay their fears.

When a modern day Nicodemus does muster the courage to step out and seek answers, he may simply want to learn more about Jesus, or he’s aware that there’s possibly a different set of beliefs and a better way to live than he’s ever experienced.  His curiosity may manifest itself by privately asking questions to a Christian friend or acquaintance.  When he does, he is giving us an opportunity to evangelize, and we need to respond utilizing good listening skills.  His questions may be phrased in ways that hide their real intent, and we may have to look behind the words.  We should not make stuff up, nor answer questions with excess theology.  He needs simple answers, and if we don’t know an answer, we should say so and endeavor to find the answer for him.  We should try to avoid vocabulary that is foreign to non-Catholics.

Like Nicodemus, his questions may appear antagonistic but probably aren’t meant to be so.  Instead, they are likely due to his personal cynicism and relativism that has developed over years.  He’s not ready to reveal that he’s on any kind of spiritual quest.  He is curious but cautious, and still needs to feel safe and unthreatened when asking questions.  We should respond in a friendly manner to increase the trust that has allowed him to ask questions in the first place.

Our gentle evangelizing should have an eye towards bringing this person from a a place of curiosity to being open to exploring the idea that God is a personal God rather than a concept, and that we can have a relationship with Him.  We can introduce him to Jesus and the story of His passion, death, and resurrection in atonement for our sins.  And we should be patient and pray for him, being grateful that, while he may not yet be making a commitment to spiritual or personal change, he no longer rejects the idea. 

“Heavenly Father, I thank You for the virtue of fortitude given to me with my Confirmation that has prepared me to proclaim the saving message of salvation of Your Son, Jesus.  May I ever be vigilant and prepared to welcome anyone who is curious about our Christian faith.  I pray that Your Spirit affords me the grace to respond to them lovingly with humility and gentleness.  Amen.”

(Curious Like Nicodemuswas first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

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