Still a Student

Staying humble by seeing ourselves as students

04/13/2021

John 3:7b-15 Jesus said to Nicodemus: “‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus answered and said to him, ‘How can this happen?” Jesus answered and said to him, “You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this? Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And 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.”

Let me share with you something that I sincerely thought when I graduated from high school; and it is a little embarrassing in hindsight. I honestly believed that I knew everything; after all, I had studied biology and chemistry, trigonometry, algebra and calculus, world history and social studies, literature and poetry. I remember saying to myself: “Self, what could they possibly teach us in college? I already know it all! I guess they will just rehash and repeat what we have already heard!”

There is a similar sentiment often attributed to Mark Twain, the brilliant American writer. He said: “When I was a boy of 17, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much he had learned in four years.” Did Twain’s father in fact learn a lot in four years? No. It was Mark Twain who learned a lot, namely, he learned that he did not know everything and his father was a lot wiser than he knew. That is the same lesson I had to learn at 17 and I am still learning it. I am learning to be humble; I am still a student.

In the gospel today Jesus helps Nicodemus learn the same lesson, namely, that even though he is a teacher, he is still a student, and has much more to learn. Jesus teaches Nicodemus about the beautiful sacrament of baptism, and being born again by water and Spirit. Nicodemus asks: “How can this happen?” And Jesus sort of puts him in his place, answering: “You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this?”

Up to that point poor Nicodemus must have felt pretty smug about himself knowing how much he had studied and how respected and renowned he was in Israel, a little like me and Mark Twain at 17. And Jesus even said, “You are THE teacher of Israel,” like some people from Ohio say, “THE Ohio State University.” He might have imagined: “What could Jesus possibly tell me that I don’t already know? I guess he will just rehash the old stuff.” Jesus teaches him how much wiser and holier he is than Nicodemus every imagined, just like me and Mark Twain learned about our fathers who are much wiser and holier than us.

But the most important lesson Jesus wanted to teach Nicodemus was the lesson of love. You see, as long as a person is poisoned by pride, arrogance, and feeling like he or she knows it all, they cannot love others. Pride was the problem for the Pharisees (like Nicodemus) because their hearts were filled with so much self-love – they believed they were the BMOC (big man on campus) – that there was no room for love of others. They first had to be humbled – even humiliated – before they could learn to love others. Nicodemus, the teacher, had to learn he was still a student.

This year we will graduate two classes of students from Trinity Junior High: 9th graders and 8th graders. As you leave this school, I hope you will feel like you have learned a lot, because we have really outstanding teachers. We hope you are even better prepared than your peers from other schools. But the most important lesson we can teach you as a Catholic school is the lesson of love. That is, we hope you have learned to be humble, and make room in your heart for others.

You see, it is really pride that poisons us: that is why it is hard to love your parents (your pride), or you pick on or make fun of your younger siblings (your pride), or we are tempted to look down on schools we beat in Quiz Bowl or basketball or tennis (your pride). If we are full of pride, we will be empty of love. But when we begin to see like me and Mark Twain and Nicodemus that others are often smarter and more talented and holier than we are, when we are humble, it becomes easier to love others. We are still students.

Boys and girls we are really proud of you and all that you have accomplished here at Trinity. You really are an amazing group of students and I mean that sincerely. But let US be proud of you; do not be proud of yourselves. Rather be humble, and to help you be humble, remember that you are still a student, and so am I.

Praised be Jesus Christ!