John 7:46-53: a reflection

46The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this man!” 47The Pharisees therefore answered them, “You aren’t also led astray, are you? 48Have any of the rulers or any of the Pharisees believed in him? 49But this multitude that doesn’t know the law is cursed.” 50Nicodemus (he who came to him by night, being one of them) said to them, 51“Does our law judge a man unless it first hears from him personally and knows what he does?” 52They answered him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search and see that no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.” 53Everyone went to his own house,

As the leaders scheme against Jesus and scorn the crowd that follows him, one man dares to speak up, cautiously, for what is right. Nicodemus, who had come to Jesus by night, and was one of them, asks: Does our law judge a man unless it first hears from him personally and knows what he does? It is a modest question, an appeal for fairness, for right process, against the rush to condemn; and it earns him the scorn of the others: Are you also from Galilee? But Nicodemus dared to speak up for what was right against the scornful consensus.

Notice Nicodemus's small but real courage: he spoke up for what was right against the consensus. The leaders were rushing to condemn Jesus, scorning the crowd; the consensus was against Jesus, and against fairness. But Nicodemus, though cautiously, spoke up, appealing for fair process, for hearing Jesus before condemning him. It was a modest step, not a bold declaration; but it was a real one, daring to speak for what was right against the scornful consensus, and drawing their scorn upon himself. He did not simply go along with the crowd; he spoke up, however cautiously, for what was right.

That small courage is worth taking to heart, for we too can be tempted to go along silently with a scornful consensus rather than speaking up for what is right. When a consensus rushes toward what is wrong or unfair, and to speak against it would draw scorn, we can stay silent, going along with the crowd; but Nicodemus dared to speak up, however cautiously, for what was right. Do not simply go along silently with a scornful consensus when it is wrong; dare to speak up for what is right, even cautiously, even at the cost of scorn, as Nicodemus did. A modest word for what is right, spoken against the consensus, is better than silent conformity; speak up, as Nicodemus spoke for fair process against the rush to condemn, rather than going along silently with a scornful crowd, for even a small, cautious courage to speak for what is right against the consensus is worth more than silence.

Lord, as the leaders scheme against Jesus and scorn the crowd that follows him, one man dares to speak up, cautiously, for what is right. Nicodemus, who had come to Jesus by night, and was one of them, asks: does our law judge a man unless it first hears from him personally and knows what he does? It is a modest question, an appeal for fairness, against the rush to condemn; and it earns him the scorn of the others. But Nicodemus dared to speak up for what was right against the scornful consensus. Show me Nicodemus's small but real courage: he spoke up for what was right against the consensus. The leaders were rushing to condemn Jesus; the consensus was against fairness. But Nicodemus, though cautiously, spoke up, appealing for fair process. It was a modest step, not a bold declaration; but it was a real one, daring to speak for what was right against the scornful consensus, and drawing their scorn upon himself. He did not simply go along with the crowd. Take that small courage to my heart, for I too can be tempted to go along silently with a scornful consensus rather than speaking up for what is right. When a consensus rushes toward what is wrong or unfair, and to speak against it would draw scorn, I can stay silent; but Nicodemus dared to speak up, however cautiously. Keep me from simply going along silently with a scornful consensus when it is wrong; help me dare to speak up for what is right, Lord, even cautiously, even at the cost of scorn, as Nicodemus did.