Time with Jesus - Monday, 27 February 2012
Hi all,
Yesterday’s
meditation and Scriptures were all about Covenant. You may recall that it
referred to the fact that it was usually only the woman who was stoned to death
for adultery. The man got off “scot-free”. I suspect that if women were
stronger than men, it would have been the other way round! Being stoned to
death for committing adultery is the topic dealt with in John 8 – one of
today’s Scriptures.
This
portion of Scripture is left out in some translations. Where it has been
included, there is often a footnote or marginal-note stating that the passage
is not in them. It’s been deliberately left out for a good reason. Many translators
do not like to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is God! So they remove any section
of Scripture which makes reference to His Divinity. After all, only God can
forgive sin!
What
is not mentioned is that if she was caught in the act of adultery and brought
before Jesus, she was probably naked. Her deep humiliation and embarrassment
would have touched Him deeply. To help her with this, Jesus didn’t look at her.
Instead He wrote on the ground. It’s likely that someone threw her a covering
of some sort during the time when the Pharisees left one by one. This would
have quietened her trembling significantly. In other words, Jesus would not
have been looking at a naked woman! I like this understanding, because of the
deep care for women He displayed throughout His time in ministry. He would not
have wanted to increase her embarrassment.
They
thought they had “caught” Jesus out. The Mosaic Law was very clear. The penalty
for adultery was stoning to death. If He had agreed, they would have stoned her
to death there and then. If He didn’t He would have been siding with someone
who had broken the law. His action was an act of God; repentance and
forgiveness for an adulterer. No condemnation! “Go and sin no more”, was His
injunction. Whether she did or did not we are not told. My guess is that her
life was transformed by the incident. Jesus still does this today for sinners
like you and me. Some of us have gone to Him more deeply entrenched in sin than
this unfortunate woman. He forgave us and said, “Go and sin no more”! I’m so
glad He did!
This
little poem was written in 1985. However, it is as just as relevant today as it
was back then. So I’ve included in today’s meditation.
Blessings
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
Adultery! - (John 8 vs. 1 to
11)
He'd
been on the Mountain of Olives,
As
well as our Temple in town.
We
had heard Jesus speak
All
the previous week
And
at dawn, He came in and sat down.
We
all began gathering round Him;
All
eager, His voice, for to hear;
Perhaps
we would see
Him
miraculously
Cause
a wondrous sign to appear!
Then,
up walked a group of our leaders
With
a woman they thought He should see.
They
said, "It's a fact!"
"She's
been caught in the act
Of
committing adultery."
They
said that, according to Moses,
She
should now pay the ultimate price;
And,
if He agreed,
They
would like to proceed.
But
first, would He give His advice?
Now,
all of us knew that the question
Was
designed to put Him in a flap.
They
wanted to see
What
His answer would be.
Perhaps,
He'd be caught in their trap?
The
woman looked horribly frightened.
She
stood there just shaking with fear.
She
was weeping aloud
In
front of the crowd,
Convinced
that her death was now near.
But
we were all looking at Jesus
And
wondering what He would say.
We
could see He was faced
With
His utter distaste
For
this harsh and unloving display.
We
didn't know how He could answer,
Or
the principle He would propound.
But,
we knew what He meant
When
He silently bent
And
His finger did write on the ground.
The
Scribes and the Pharisees gloated,
Insisting
He make a reply.
They
thought He was beat
Till
He got to His feet
And
looked them all straight in the eye.
With
a voice of authoritive passion,
He
uttered these words from His heart:
“The
one without sin
May
her stoning begin."
Then,
His writing, once more, He did start!
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The
leaders all stared in amazement;
Confused
by the answer they'd heard.
For,
the words that He spoke
Nearly
caused them to choke!
To
them, He had sounded absurd.
But
slowly the truth of His answer
Started
settling into each mind.
Like
the light of the day
Driving
darkness away,
Their
reasons for stoning, declined.
Then,
shamed by the wisdom of Jesus,
The
eldest departed the scene.
How
could he reply?
He
did not qualify!
He
knew what a sinner he'd been.
And,
right the way down to the youngest,
They
followed the eldest man's lead
And
left, one by one,
Till
each person had gone
That
accused her of doing the deed.
The
woman continued her weeping
But,
since only Jesus was near,
Her
trembling finished;
Her
wailing diminished
And
she was controlling her fear.
Then,
Jesus arose from His bending
And
glanced very quickly around.
We
could tell from His eyes
He
wasn't surprised
Her
inquisitors couldn't be found!
"Woman,
where are your accusers?"
Jesus
asked as the woman grew calm.
"Where
are the men
Who
seek to condemn?
Is
there no one that's seeking your harm?"
By
then, she was filled with amazement
And
relief that she couldn't disguise.
"No
one Sir!" she replied
In a
voice which implied
That
she didn't believe her own eyes.
Then,
Jesus looked full of compassion
As
He gazed at her straight in the eye;
And
His words set her free
As
He said tenderly,
"If
they haven't, neither do I!"
Jesus
knew that she'd truly repented
Of
what she'd been doing before;
And
so He did say
That
she could go away
And
added, "Don't sin any more!"
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Jim
Strickland – Written 1985
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