In his Commencement Address at Harvard University on June 8, 1978, Alexander Solzhenitsyn raised the issue of the decline of courage in the world. He said, "A decline in courage may be the most striking feature that an outside observer notices in the West today. The Western world has lost its civic courage, both as a whole and separately, in each country, in each government, in each political party... Such a decline in courage is particularly noticeable among the ruling and intellectual elites, causing an impression of a loss of courage by the entire society. There remain many courageous individuals, but they have no determining influence on public life.” He talked further on the decline of courage and its connection to the lack of manhood. Then he also raised the concerns that some individuals who often show their boldness became timid and “get tongue-tied and paralyzed when they deal with powerful governments and threatening forces.”
The Gospel story today highlights the issue of courage, particularly in the character of Nicodemus. Nicodemus raised the argument that Jesus should be heard first; he believed that, according to due process, a judgment should only be made after a complete investigation. But Nicodemus did not make this statement out of a desire to boldly defend Jesus. Instead, he was motivated by fear. By advocating for due process, he hoped that if they listened to Jesus first, His words would have the power to change their hearts, leading them to believe in Him. Rather than standing up to defend Jesus, Nicodemus hoped that Jesus would defend Himself. Nicodemus's fear becomes even more apparent when the other Jews argue that no prophet arises from Galilee. In this moment, Nicodemus just stays silent. As a teacher of the law, he knew that while the Old Testament does not explicitly state that a prophet would come from Galilee, it does indicate that a prophet would come from the line of David. “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a Branch will bear fruit" (Isaiah 11:1). Despite this knowledge, Nicodemus never attempts to refute the claim made by the Jews.
As we approach the end of the Lenten season, let us pray for the grace of courage so that we may defend Christ and our faith without fear.