It's All In The Seeing Series

“Honor your father and mother” is one of the Ten Commandments. It seems a bit strange to me when you look at it set along side the other commandments.

Why is this so important? Why, because parents have been given such a high and worthy charge – a living soul has been placed into their care.

God has a job for mothers… the giving of a very precious gift in the name of God And he gives this work to broken people… Amazing!

Today we meet a broken woman

The woman taken before Jesus had been caught in the very act of adultery - Not exactly the normal Mother’s day text is it? But why not... Here is a woman who was obviously setup and treated like an animal. There is no consideration for her at all – while the man is left to go free.

Jesus had great compassion and heartfelt care for the women in his life - His mother, Mary at the cross with John, the woman who washed his feet and used her hair as a towel, and here, the woman taken in adultery.

Two different views of this woman

The crowd saw her as damaged and worthless.

Jesus saw her as damaged and valuable.

It’s All in the Seeing

John 8:1-5 (NCV)

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 But early in the morning he went back to the Temple, and all the people came to him, and he sat and taught them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery. They forced her to stand before the people.

It’s All in the Seeing

John 8:1-5 (NCV)

4 They said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught having sexual relations with a man who is not her husband. 5 The law of Moses commands that we stone to death every woman who does this. What do you say we should do?”

It’s All in the Seeing

A Damaged Soul

She was no one special. She was no one important – no one of any consequence at all. A woman of low birth, of no value to society – just a woman – without even a name worth remembering.

She may have been a prostitute. Perhaps she was simply a lost cause – a woman so hungry for unconditional love and unreserved acceptance that she would sleep with most any man that said the right words or paid the right price.

She was the talk of the town, but nobody talked to her. She was lovely, but she was unloved. I guess that’s the price you pay when you’re “easy”. I know it it’s calloused and crass to use this term in speaking of this woman, but it’s probably accurate.

A Guilty Sinner

It was early morning. A bright new day had come when the door of a dingy room was thrown open hard. It bounced against the wall and young strong thugs – employed by the righteous right – reached for her. They pulled her from the bed and threw a dirty robe at her. And then they drug her into the streets – leaving the man behind.

She fought and scratched and screamed but despite her unwillingness, she came out from the gray light of the dark, hidden, room into the early morning light of the streets of Jerusalem. Her eyes blinked in the full light of day. She was young and worn. Her clothes were dirty and torn with uncombed hair and eyes red first from fear, then anger, and finally tears. Her arms, legs, and face bruised by the grasping hands of uncaring men as they yanked her and drug her and pulled her along.

And behind her – a mob came followed – taunting, questioning, pointing, staring, and laughing. She could say nothing in her defense… because she was caught and humiliated. She was guilty.

A Worthless Woman

Here she lies in the dirt – A broken, bleeding, and worthless human being – under the curse of the law and self-righteous crowd. There was the weight of death upon her head.

The crowd looked at her as if she were a piece of rotten meat covered with grubs. She was worthless. Broken. Useless. Nothing.

A woman who was caught in sin – A woman who was forced to stand before the people and then humiliated – A woman under sentence of death.

Damaged, Guilty, and Worthless

If only I could change my past…

Some of you here on this beautiful Mother’s Day know what it’s like not to be able to get past your past. You daily live with the constant ache of regret. Thoughts of your previous mistakes and sins still haunt you and you repeat the mantra, "If only …" "If only I’d done this. If only I hadn’t done that. Life would be as I have always dreamed."