Note from Jesus
Dear Precious Disciple,
So what did I write in the dirt with My finger?
I know many of you have wondered this about the episode in the verses below. However, don’t let your question lead you to miss the message of this intersection of a woman’s sin, the religious leaders’ misguided zeal to trap Me, and My explicit grace that reaches out to an exploited and embarrassed woman with no place to hide her sin and shame.
Life is hard. People grow desperate. Simply to survive, some resort to things they once thought reprehensible and impossible. I do not condone the sin, but I understand the terrible power that life, culture, religion, and poverty can exert to trap people in the cruel grip of evil’s hand. If you examine my own list of ancestors, you will find “the prostitute Rahab”, who was in the lineage of King David (Matthew 1:5-6). Her faith in the Father’s ability to protect her and her family is legendary and earned her a place in My “Faith Hall of Fame” (Hebrews 11:4-38). Rahab trusted that as the Father empowered the people of Israel to be victorious over the mighty walled city of Jericho, he would also care for a desperate woman trying to protect and to provide for her family (Hebrews 11:31).
The unnamed woman in the story below was “caught in the act” of her sin and shame. She was caught, however, not to prevent evil or to promote righteousness, but to bait Me into a religious trap. The Spirit emphasized this point — “caught in the act” — twice to show the scandal, not only the scandal of the woman but also the scandal of the self-righteous “scribes and Pharisees”.
Where is the man involved in this woman’s sin? Where is the righteous indignation of the “scribes and Pharisees” for his sin? How did they know where and how and when to catch this woman in their trap and yet not include him? Why would they choose to humiliate her instead of redeeming her or preventing the sin in the first place? Why place her on the raging fire of their hatred intended for Me, subjecting her to indignity at the cost of her humanity?
Deep in their souls, they knew that their vile hearts had gotten the better of their desire to be holy and righteous — that their acts were more obscene than hers. My writing in the sand and My words of warning reached the hearts of the most mature, most decent and good, among the mob.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud… The bone-crushing weight of large stones carried by the accusers fell to the dirt. The shuffling of sandaled feet slowly drifted from notice as the woman’s accusers turned away, leaving Me alone with this scared and humiliated woman. There, in that sacred moment, I was caught by John’s words… “caught in the act” of explicit grace — grace to save this child of God from a mob propelled by hate and grace to save her to live the fresh daily grace of life not in bondage to sin. She would no longer be known as the woman “caught in the act” of sin, but the woman “caught in the act” of My redeeming and explicit grace.
You will journey with Me the next several weeks as I move toward My cross and resurrection. You, like this woman, are saved by My intervention into your life with grace:
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
(Romans 5:6-10 NIV — bold added for emphasis.)
As one saved by My grace, what “I ask is that you go and from now on avoid the sins that plague you”! I want you to realize that I didn’t just save you from sin, but that I also saved you for sharing My grace with others through your good works (Ephesians 2:8-10).
Verses to Live
As you read John’s account of this emotionally-charged moment, think of the shame you carry for the sin that you’ve hidden and that you hope daily will stay concealed. Now read this story and realize that you are in the same situation as this woman at the end of the story — that you are “caught in the act” of My explicit grace.
Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. He awoke early in the morning to return to the temple. When He arrived, the people surrounded Him, so He sat down and began to teach them. While He was teaching, the scribes and Pharisees brought in a woman who was caught in the act of adultery; and they stood her before Jesus.
Pharisees:
Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. Moses says in the law that we are to kill such women by stoning. What do You say about it?
This was all set up as a test for Jesus; His answers would give them grounds to accuse Him of crimes against Moses’ law. Jesus bent over and wrote something in the dirt with His finger. They persisted in badgering Jesus, so He stood up straight.
Jesus:
Let the first stone be thrown by the one among you who has not sinned.
Once again Jesus bent down to the ground and resumed writing with His finger. The Pharisees who heard Him stood still for a few moments and then began to leave slowly, one by one, beginning with the older men. Eventually only Jesus and the woman remained, and Jesus looked up.
Jesus:
Dear woman, where is everyone? Are we alone? Did no one step forward to condemn you?
Woman Caught in Adultery:
Lord, no one has condemned me.
Jesus:
Well, I do not condemn you either; all I ask is that you go and from now on avoid the sins that plague you.
(John 8:1-11)
Response in Prayer
Father, there are no adequate words to say, other than “Thank You!” Thank You for becoming flesh in Jesus. Thank You for Your grace to save me from my sin and for the grace to call me to a greater purpose and life lived for Jesus, in Whose name I pray. Amen.
‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware.
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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.