Daily Bread 2010 - John 8
Daily Bread 2010 – John 8
1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
11"No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
Here is another story of Jesus’ interaction with people that shows the true nature of his ministry and mission. In this story, a woman caught in adultery is brought before Jesus. According to the letter of the Jewish Law, she should have been stoned. Again the Pharisees were trying trap Jesus to discredit his ministry.
But as they wait for his response, Jesus begins to doodle on the ground with his finger. After they questioned him again he says, “Whoever who is without sin throw the first stone”; and then he continues to doodle on the ground. As they started to get the point that none of them were without sin, they began to leave the scene one after the other starting with the oldest who would be most aware of his sinfulness.
Then, comes the dramatic point in the story! Jesus, the only one who could have condemned her, asks her where her accusers are. When she says there are none left, Jesus says, “Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin.”
I believe this story is one of the clearest illustrations of who Jesus was and is, and by application it shows us the Father’s heart. Jesus, the only one who can condemn her, does not and instead shows her the unconditional love she needed. But as he offers her grace, he also offers her truth when he says, “Go and sin no more!”
How many people in our society need to see that this is what Jesus is all about and hence what the Church should be all about? How do we as the Church invite people, who like the woman caught in adultery, expect to be stoned were they to set foot in a church? As we proclaim the message that there is no condemnation in Christ, we also invite people to leave their life of sin. As someone truly experiences the unconditional grace of God in Christ, they are given the power to leave their life of sin.
If we really want to reach those far from Christ, we need to be crystal clear that just as no one is without sin, everyone who comes into our community is worthy of the grace of God in Christ Jesus. This will also help us to remember that we too did nothing to deserve God’s grace, but Jesus invited us to first receive it and then go leave our life of sin.
Jesus help us to reach out to those who are trapped in a life of sin, and are hesitant to come to our gatherings for fear of the same treatment the woman caught in adultery received. If we are tempted to count their sins against them, help us to remember that we like them are not without sin. Help us to continue to receive your grace and sin no more, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
11"No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
Here is another story of Jesus’ interaction with people that shows the true nature of his ministry and mission. In this story, a woman caught in adultery is brought before Jesus. According to the letter of the Jewish Law, she should have been stoned. Again the Pharisees were trying trap Jesus to discredit his ministry.
But as they wait for his response, Jesus begins to doodle on the ground with his finger. After they questioned him again he says, “Whoever who is without sin throw the first stone”; and then he continues to doodle on the ground. As they started to get the point that none of them were without sin, they began to leave the scene one after the other starting with the oldest who would be most aware of his sinfulness.
Then, comes the dramatic point in the story! Jesus, the only one who could have condemned her, asks her where her accusers are. When she says there are none left, Jesus says, “Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin.”
I believe this story is one of the clearest illustrations of who Jesus was and is, and by application it shows us the Father’s heart. Jesus, the only one who can condemn her, does not and instead shows her the unconditional love she needed. But as he offers her grace, he also offers her truth when he says, “Go and sin no more!”
How many people in our society need to see that this is what Jesus is all about and hence what the Church should be all about? How do we as the Church invite people, who like the woman caught in adultery, expect to be stoned were they to set foot in a church? As we proclaim the message that there is no condemnation in Christ, we also invite people to leave their life of sin. As someone truly experiences the unconditional grace of God in Christ, they are given the power to leave their life of sin.
If we really want to reach those far from Christ, we need to be crystal clear that just as no one is without sin, everyone who comes into our community is worthy of the grace of God in Christ Jesus. This will also help us to remember that we too did nothing to deserve God’s grace, but Jesus invited us to first receive it and then go leave our life of sin.
Jesus help us to reach out to those who are trapped in a life of sin, and are hesitant to come to our gatherings for fear of the same treatment the woman caught in adultery received. If we are tempted to count their sins against them, help us to remember that we like them are not without sin. Help us to continue to receive your grace and sin no more, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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