PerryDox – BeJustAChristian

In Camelot, the adulterous relationship between Queen Guinevere and Arthur’s most trusted knight, Sir Lancelot, has divided the Round Table. When the scheming Mordred catches them in a clandestine encounter, Lancelot escapes. Guinevere is not so fortunate. She faces a trial; and the jury finds her guilty, sentencing her to the flame.

As the day of execution nears, people come from miles around with one question on their minds: Will the king let her die? Mordred gleefully captures the complexity of Arthur’s predicament:

“Arthur! What a magnificent dilemma! Let her die, your life is over. Let her live, your life’s a fraud. Which will it be, Arthur? Do you kill the queen or kill the law?”

Tragically but resolutely, Arthur decides: “Treason has been committed! The jury has ruled! Let justice be done!” Arthur is high up in the castle near a window as Guinevere enters the courtyard. She walks to her unlit stake, where the executioner stands with waiting torch. Arthur turns away, emotion brimming in his eyes. A herald mounts the tower where Arthur has withdrawn: “The queen is at the stake, Your Majesty. Shall I signal the torch?” But the king cannot answer.

Arthur’s love for Guinevere spills from his broken heart: “I can’t! I can’t! I can’t let her die!” Seeing Arthur crumble, Mordred relishes the moment: “Well, you’re human after all, aren’t you, Arthur? Human and helpless.” Tragically, Arthur realizes the truth of Mordred’s remark. Being only human, he is indeed helpless.

And this brings us to one of the most iconic scenes in the entire Bible. The hostile scribes and Pharisees confront Jesus with a woman caught in adultery – in the very act.

John 8:2-11 (HCSB) (2) At dawn He went to the temple complex again, and all the people were coming to Him. He sat down and began to teach them. (3) Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, making her stand in the center. (4) “Teacher,” they said to Him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery. (5) In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do You say?” (6) They asked this to trap Him, in order that they might have evidence to accuse Him. Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with His finger. (7) When they persisted in questioning Him, He stood up and said to them, “The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.” (8) Then He stooped down again and continued writing on the ground. (9) When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only He was left, with the woman in the center. (10) When Jesus stood up, He said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” (11) “No one, Lord,” she answered. “Neither do I condemn you,” said Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”]

What the enemies of Jesus are asking Jesus is, “Will you kill the Law, or kill the adulteress?”

This scene captures so much of whom and what Jesus was – and so much of what we are not. This scene also divides people into two categories. One group emphasizes “Neither do I judge you.” The other, “Go and sin no more.” Remarkably these phrases are even found in the same verse; and yet in the hearts of people are far, far away from each other in application. Both of these statements capture the real Jesus though, the complete Jesus. But people like to pick and choose which Jesus they believe in using the Bible as their proof-text (M. W. Bassford; hisexcellentword.blogspot.com/2015/07/jesus-and-call-to-change.html).

Those who emphasize with left-wing sympathies generally see a “liberal” Jesus, a Jesus who:

• Promoted love as the highest good.
• Warned against materialism.
• Despised the religious elite of His day.
• Sought out the irreligious, marginalized, and excluded.
• Praised the poor.
• Blasted the rich.
• Flipped social convention on its head.

By contrast, right-wing folks tend to have a “conservative” image of Jesus, a Jesus who:

• Took a strict view of the sanctity of marriage.
• Had high expectations for sexual morality.
• Demanded self-denial.
• Zealously defended the law of God.
• Warned about the dangers of judgment and hell.
• Promised that if His nation did not repent, it would be destroyed.

Which of these two Jesus’ is the real Jesus? Both; and that is so hard for us to understand and replicate. Those two “contrasts” live side by side in Jesus, not in competition, but in harmony. Those two “opposites” need to live side by side in every church and Christian. Those two “contrasts” are found in John’s prologue describing Jesus:

John 1:14 (HCSB) The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of GRACE AND TRUTH.

The story of the woman caught in adultery combines so many facets as to be mesmerizing: hypocritical religion, grace, personal struggles, and surprisingly law. It’s important that we see both the right and wrong uses of law; whether the Mosaic Law, or the law of Christ. Easily we can find ourselves in each category.

There is much about this story left to our imaginations:

• Before the entrapment, what was Jesus teaching to the crowd?
  • Jesus often spoke of adultery, never excusing it or allowing.
  • What did Jesus write on the ground the first time?
    • Jesus stooped down. Usually in a case of stoning, the punishers stoop down to pick up stones. Did the crowd think He was getting a stone?
  • Did Jesus write the same thing on the ground the second time?
  • Is it possible the woman was “in” on the scheme and not really guilty of adultery?
  • If the woman was guilty of adultery, why wasn’t the man there?
    • It has been imagined he was, but that he one of the Pharisees. Is it so farfetched to think these hypocrites would protect one of their own so as to trap Jesus?
  • If the woman was guilty of adultery, why didn’t Jesus command them to bring the man for stoning too?
  • After being told to “go and sin no more,” did she?
    • Did she remain faithful? How much trouble with sexual sins did she have afterwards?

There is much we do not know. What we do know about the story can make us religiously uncomfortable because we have to explain the complete Jesus.

The Religious Not Interested in Learning

John 8:2 (HCSB) At dawn He went to the temple complex again, and all the people were coming to Him. He sat down and began to teach them.

One of the “incidentals” within this story is the scene before the scene. Even though the greatest teacher the world has ever known is teaching, those who think they know well enough are not willing to sit and listen. And when later they do come to Jesus, they are more interested in catching Jesus in what He says than in catching what Jesus says.

That means this entire scene started by the scribes and Pharisees is an interruption. Modern equivalents situations would be interrupting a sermon or Bible class. The accusers are more interested in making the teacher look badly than in learning or letting others learn.

So let’s ask some questions:

• Are the accusers interested in the crowd learning more about God?
• Are the accusers interested in the soul of the adulteress?
• Are the accusers interested in the welfare of Jesus?

Hypocritical Religion

John 8:3-6a (HCSB) (3) Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, making her stand in the center. (4) “Teacher,” they said to Him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery. (5) In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do You say?” (6) They asked this to trap Him, in order that they might have evidence to accuse Him.

Stoning is what the Law proscribed in Deuteronomy 22:22-24 and Leviticus 20:10. The Law also proscribed two witnesses in capital cases (Deut. 17:6 & 19:15). They had the woman; and the witnesses. But they didn’t present the man. There is a saying, “two out of three ain’t bad.” Here, two out of three are bad, wrong, unlawful and therefore sinful.

You know how frustrating it is when a criminal gets off free because the cops did not proceed “legally” and the judge releases the criminal on a technicality? You think, “But he did the crime, even if the search was without a warrant, he is still guilty.” I know exactly how you feel. It’s just wrong. And yet…isn’t that exactly what happened between the woman caught in adultery by the scribes and Pharisees? The accusers – the “cops” – did not follow the law. If they had, they would have brought forth the woman and the man. What’s the point? Regardless of whether someone breaks God’s laws or man’s laws, those who are trying to uphold the law – Christians or police officers – are equally responsible for upholding the law when accusing the lawbreaker of breaking the law. If we don’t proceed correctly applying the law, we are just another criminal accusing another criminal.

As we can see, this story is just as much about the scribes and Pharisees who broke God’s law as it is about the adulteress who broke God’s law. They were asking Jesus to join them in their hypocritical use of the Law. Plus they were asking Him to lead them in a rebellion against the law of Rome which had taken away their right to practice capital punishment (Jn.18:31).

Questions:

• Are we using God’s words accurately when accusing others of sin?
  • Story – When I was preparing for a debate with a Oneness Pentecostal, and this was the time when people still used overheads – I was told when asked to put up a slide during his rebuttal to purposely put up the wrong slide to take away his time to respond.
  • Are we more interested in catching people in their sin, than in capturing people for Jesus? (i.e., “fishers of men”)

Pause vs. Persistence

John 8:6b-7a (HCSB) Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with His finger. (7) When they persisted in questioning Him….

The mob is demanding action. Picture this, Jesus is silent, stoops down, and writes on the ground. The accusers are annoying, standing, and asking what is written in the Law. I don’t know the purpose of Jesus’ pause, but I do know that sometimes letting others persistently talk allows them to show their true colors. Using a colloquialism from today, letting people continue to talk is giving them enough rope to hang themselves.

Law

John 8:7 (HCSB) When they persisted in questioning Him, He stood up and said to them, “The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Amazingly Jesus does not deny the scriptural right of capital punishment; nor does He doubt or deny her sinfulness. He is willing to uphold the law even more so than the accusers. Does this mean Jesus is teaching that we should never judge others? Interesting and important question; I think this is equivalent to Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 7:1-5:

Matthew 7:1-5 (HCSB) (1) “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. (2) For with the judgment you use, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (3) Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the log in your own eye? (4) Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a log in your eye? (5) Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

Also, we should recognize that even a sin we have repented of does not mean we don’t deserve death. There is no real power in repentance; all the power is in God’s forgiveness.

“Without sin” could have several applications: 1) Without sin ever; 2) Without sin in this accusation since the man was not present; 3) Without sin in having never committed this particular sin. Of course the only one without sin was Jesus.

Let’s ask some more questions:

• Do we deserve to be stoned? Yes.
• Do we deserve to be stoned even after repenting? Again the answer is yes.
  • In a court of law, when someone is judged guilty the judge can ask if they have anything to stay. Let’s say the crime is murder. Sometimes the offender apologizes to the family he has hurt. In a legal sense this is his repentance. Does he still deserve to go to jail or get the death penalty? Yes.

Honest Religion

John 8:9 (HCSB) When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only He was left, with the woman in the center.

This is actually one of the most surprising and hopeful verses in all this text. Earlier I said this passage is just as much about the scribes and Pharisees as it is about the adulteress. What Jesus teaches actually pierces their hearts. They entered as hypocrites; they existed humbled. They learned God’s law is not for their misuse. For how long they remained humbled, we don’t know. But in this instance, they all admit their unworthiness starting with the older all the way to the younger. The older were not so set in their ways as to not see their own wickedness. These scribes and Pharisees actually become teachers by becoming touched by what Jesus teaches. This proves even the most hardened spiritual enemy can be changed by God’s word. It all starts by admitting their – our – own sinfulness.

Walking away is in practice the exact opposite of what we ask for in church. Instead of people “coming forward,” they left. But it is the same point. I have wondered how often today people should “come forward,” but instead all they do is leave.

Grace

John 8:10-11a (HCSB)  (10) When Jesus stood up, He said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? ” (11) “No one, Lord,” she answered. “Neither do I condemn you,” said Jesus.

Notice the woman does not try to defend herself, nor accuse her accusers of hypocrisy. Can you imagine how easy it would be to dust the dirt of yourself, claim innocence, and start bad mouthing your accusers? According the Law, Jesus couldn’t condemn her. And yet, as God He could but chose not to.

Personal Struggles

John 11b (HCSB) “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”

“Is it OK to sell a Bible to a prostitute?” Laura is a member of a small church in a small town in central Brazil. She has sold Avon products for years in the town to supplement the family income. One of her weekly routes takes here through the red light district, and with those business contacts she often shares her faith in Jesus Christ.

One day after asking her preacher if it is OK to sell Bibles to prostitutes she took a few Bibles with her on her Avon trips to the red light district. God opened a door to present Bibles and Christian books in a house of prostitutes. Ten of these women gathered around a table one afternoon as Laura shared with them the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. A few Bibles and some books containing testimonies of transformed lives were sold that afternoon.

Several months later there were terrible rains and floods in that part of Brazil, causing several deaths. With the floods came mudslides in communities that had been inundated by the rising rivers. Two prostitutes who had attended the book demonstration earlier that year talked about the danger and decided to read the Bible they had purchased. Perhaps thinking the book to be like a mystery novel, they started with Revelation in order to find the conclusion of the story. What they read terrified them.

They read with dismay Revelation 21:7-8: “He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, and the sexually immoral, the idolaters and all liars––their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” The gal who owned the Bible became alarmed and exclaimed, “We’re lost! We’re lost!” Her housemate replied, “No, you’re lost. I’m not lost because I do penance every day.” Still alarmed and concerned, they continued to read.

A few days later Laura visited her Avon customers. These two women literally pulled her off the street and shoved the Bible into her hands. “Read this part right there! Tell us what it means!” they ordered. Laura read the verses and responded, “It means that when you practice and live in one of these sins, you will not be permitted to enter heaven.” Again, the owner of the Bible cried, “We’re lost! We’re lost! I told you we were lost!” Her friend again assured her, “No, you’re lost. I’m not lost because I repent every day.”

“Repentance,” Laura explained, “is when you confess your wrong and completely turn around. You do not repent. Repenting is turning from your sin. You only feel guilty for your sins.” Again, the prostitute shouted even louder, “We are lost! We’re lost!” After sharing the plan of salvation and trying to pray with them Laura returned home planning to visit again. One week passed by and she made her way down the muddy and rutted dirt streets of that little suburb. On arriving at the home of the two prostitutes, she was handed a note by the one who had been so assured of her false repentance.

“Laura, Enclosed is the money I owe. Thank you so much for help. After your visit last week, I returned to my hometown and am living with my parents. On Sunday I attended church and gave my life to Jesus. If ever I visit your city again, it will only be to attend your church. Jesus has made me a different person.” (This amazing true story of the power of God’s Word was adapted from Richard Jacobsen, “A Miracle in Ipatinga,” American Bible Society Record, (April 1988, Vol. 134, No. 4.), pp. 12-14).

All of us to different degrees and with different sins find ourselves here with the woman caught in adultery standing before Jesus. Jesus doesn’t say “Try to sin no more.” Jesus doesn’t say, “Just do your best.” Jesus tells her to repent by saying, “Go and sin no more.” So how do we “go and sin no more?”

Many of us would probably like a list of steps. Lists are helpful, such as the 12 Steps of A.A. Each step is based upon the Bible. The Bible though does not normally give us a bunch of steps and lists, except in the form of commands such as “flee immorality” (1 Cor.6:18; 1 Tim.6:11; 2 Tim.2:22); which can be very literal and practical. What the Bible does is teach us how to overcome using two main methods: Stories and Theology.

Theology teaches us about God, what Jesus did, the consequences of disobedience and rewards of obedience, and so on. This is how Paul often writes, such as in Ephesians and Colossians. Peter in 1 Peter teaches a theological truth, and then makes a practical application, then repeats the process. It is our responsibility to learn the doctrine, the point of the doctrine, and the application of the doctrine. When Jesus obeyed His Father even unto death, His actions said, “It is not about Me, it is about My Lord and My God.” Even so, when we obey Jesus even unto the death of the flesh, whether dying to sin or literally dying, our actions are saying, “It is not about Me, it about My Lord and My God.” That is why studying is so important. We not only learn about God’s will, we learn about Jesus who shows us how to obey.

Stories are about real people overcoming real temptations – or failing to – and we are to use those stories to help us. You have heard the phrase, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” That’s the point here. Stories are “word pictures.” We are to see the “words” which are the commands, methods, lists, helpful hints, and such, live and in person in the stories. For example, we still do this today. We tell our children not to lie, and we tell them the story of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.” The story of the woman caught in adultery is a story of truth and grace.

But the way it ends is so…open. How do we “go and sin no more?” To help, what we are about to do is list advice from real people in their real lives to “go and sin no more.”

I asked the question, “What helps you overcome weaknesses?” (I left all the suggestions, even the ones repeated which should inform us even more how often those are used and needed):

• It greatly helps when I pray a promise to God. Promises to God mean more to me than pleas for help.
• When others hold up my weary arms. Encouraging words and unsolicited help.
• Reading the Bible. Works every time. Doesn’t matter which part.
• Always remembering that I am not at war with flesh and blood!
• Calling a friend.
• Crying, praying, talking to friends
• Filling my mind with scripture, praying, being with brethren, focusing on the needs of others.
• Thinking about the love and grace of Christ which in turn compels me to not live in the flesh but live for my Savior who first gave Himself for me. Then I pray and give thanks for His victory!
• Having a life with good people and healthy interests.
  • i.e., “The Rat Park Heroin Experiment”
• Contemplating on those who have greater troubles and concerns than I and not minding if God will take care of their needs first.
• Focusing, preparing mind – before I face old temptations.
• Purposeful change of attitude so that my heart and approach to others is more like Christ’s — no matter what the situation.
• Surrounding myself with strong Christian friends and family members!
• Teaching others. Engaging others with the truth of God makes me stronger, and more encouraged to overcome whatever I might have to face, especially my own weaknesses.
• I think of all of the eyes that follow me, expecting me to be strong, especially the little ones.
• Acknowledging.
• Praying to God for wisdom. Admitting to yourself that you have a weakness. Ask God for the strength to overcome your weakness. Set forth the determination in your mind that [you] will no longer let this weakness enslave you. Pray to God that he would be with you and strengthen you through this. Pray to God and thank him for delivering you through your weakness.
• After I pray I would go to my husband. He is always there for me with advice and encouragement.
• Praying consistently.
• Study, meditation and application of God’s power unto salvation!
• The promise of 1 Cor 10:13 is really powerful. I know I can overcome because of this promise
• It’s like an injured joint. You strengthen the muscles around it to protect the weak ones.
• I do what I can do. God in His mercy is the one who removes the defects.
• Experience that comes with age. Many times I have prayed for guidance, comfort and strength. Experience has taught me that the Lord has provided exactly that many times, and I know he will every time.
• The power of good hymns should not be overlooked or neglected. Whether sung as praise or prayer, or even heard as others sing, there is great comfort when one can “sing th’almighty power of God!”
• Praying, Bible study, “Hill of Calvary I go, to the scenes of fear and wow”
• Prayer. And staying diligent always listening for the enemy’s whispers.
• Pray… A LOT!!!
• Prayers and being with other Christians.
• Prayer, thinking about the cross, and understanding that the weakness, if submitted to, will not be as beneficial as my emotions want me to believe.
• PRAY like crazy!!!!!
• Fasting
• Throw the temptation away.

This list of practical advice is from a group of friends of mine, including myself.

Law – Go and Sin No More

Some seem to think that grace is so amazing that after experiencing it, you never want to sin again. If so, then why would Jesus warn, advise, command, the woman to go and stop sinning!

The very concept of sin, adultery, or the command to go sin no more, presupposes that we are to be controlled by God’s law.

There is a great irony in grace. Grace is needed because the law is broken, but in giving grace the law is also broken. How so? We understand the first, but the second seems odd.  That is the paradox of grace. The law commands us to obey.  The law also commands punishment when it is disobeyed. To give grace is to not carry out the law to those who did not carry out the law.

The application of such a concept is mindboggling. We see one application with the woman caught in adultery (John 8). The Pharisees could grasp the law which is obedience and punishment. They could not apply grace because that was contrary to law.

Like King Arthur, we are human and helpless. Jesus was human, but not only human and therefore not helpless. Thanks to Jesus, God does not have to be confronted with, “Will I kill the Law, or kill the sinner.” Instead, God killed His Son. That’s grace. That is why we all should go, and sin no more.

Tags: Sermon

This entry was posted by PHall on Friday, July 24th, 2015 at 3:27 pm and is filed under John. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.