Has the Son Dawned in Your Life? Or Are You Living in Darkness?
Text: John 8:1-11
August 3, 2012
Bugko UCCP Church
Mondragon, Northern Samar
Key Passage: Neither Do I Condemn you! Go your way and sin no more! Vs 11
Introduction: Rebecca Thompson fell twice from the Freemont Canyon Bridge. The first fall broke her heart the second fall broke her neck. This story is true and is taken from the Los Angeles Post August 23, 1992.
It was September 24, 1973 when Rebecca and her eleven year old sister was abducted by two known trouble makers. They had sliced her tires and then deceitfully offered them a ride to their home. This was a small town and no one would suspect such evil to be lurking in such a place as this. But evil knows no bounds and can enter anyone who will allow it to come into their hearts.
Instead the girls were driven to the Freemont Canyon Bridge, a steel structured bridge stretching across the North Platte River. Rebecca was raped and brutally beaten and then both girls were thrown over this 112 feet bridge to the Canyon below.
Amy was killed immediately when her head struck the rocks below.
Rebecca was a little bit more fortunate. Her body was bounced off of a ledge and she ended up broken, but landed in the deeper water. She had survived such a fall.
She was naked from the waist down, and her hip was broken in five different places. She managed to survive by hiding between two rocks. She could hear the men’s voices above. She waited for dawn for the rising of the sun but for her the dawn would never return to her again. She was found and her physical wounds were healed but she lived in darkness from that time on.
On July 31, 1994 she returned to the bridge that changed her life and the life of her sister forever.
No one really knows if she jumped off of the bridge or fell off. According to Sheriff Dave Dovala who had been the one to arrest the two hoodlums; “She was raped and murdered 19 years ago but she just died on that Friday.
Rebecca ignored the requests of her boyfriend to not go to that bridge. Rebecca was just 37 when she headed toward that bridge going seventy miles a hour with her daughter who was two at the time, riding in the back seat.
According to her boy friend she put her legs through the railing and her hands above as she told him how she successfully pleaded for the men not to rape her eleven year old sister Amy. She was crying bitterly as she told this story. She ran her hands through her hair as she told him how much she loved him. He then said your daughter should not see you cry as walked backward to the car. About that time he her an unbearable sound that echoed through the canyon. The sound of Rebecca’s body hitting the rocks below. Her boyfriend a thirty three year old welder said he would never forget the sound or the site of his beloved Rebecca.
She lived in fear that her abductors would either escape or be paroled, find her and finish the job they started nineteen years ago. That very day the District Attorney was trying to get a hold of her to tell her that it was over; their appeal was denied.
In 1974 they were given the death penalty. The state of Wyoming had never put someone to death before and in 1977 the courts sentence of death was overturned by the supreme court.
The hoodlums that committed this heinous crime were in their twenties at time that they raped and murdered Rebecca and killed her sister Amy.
Through the years she lived this awful reoccurring nightmare. She was threatened in court when one of the men slid his fingers across his throat. This gesture meant her life was at risk and this is what she feared for those nineteen awful years.
Looking at Rebecca you would not think anything was wrong. She had a perky smile and loved playing practical jokes. She loved boyfriend and her daughter. When friends were around they always hugged because Amy she said taught her that we never know when our last good bye will come.
She was masking her life in the midst of false guilt and fear. She turned to alcohol and drugs and who could really blame her for what she lived. Her mother thought the alcohol gave her a false courage to go to that bridge. Maybe it would give her closure. No one thought she would jump and maybe she didn’t maybe she slipped and fell. But one thing is for sure the dawn of the Son never rose again for Rebecca.
There are other Rebeccas all over the world. People who have shamed sometimes like Rebecca from no fault of their own. Sometimes they are abused and violated like Rebecca. Only the victim knows what happens. They live in shame with their innocence taken away.
Sometimes there is public shame a person becomes a divorcee when they did not want a divorce. Sometimes we battle terrible diseases that causes us to live in shame. Sometimes we are just the type of people that other people like to bully.
I was bullied a lot in Jr. High and High School. That was a long time ago. It would help me to go through some of the things I have had to go through being a foreigner in a strange land. But some years ago those who bullied asked for forgiveness and I told them I hold no grudge; there is nothing to forgive. Besides hurting innocent people is not the answer. A few students who have become bitter have killed others; but not one of those they killed did anything to that person.
We find Rebeccas throughout the Bible but none stand out like the Adulterous Woman. We find this story in John 8:1-11.
What about your life? Have you found the Dawn of the Son in Your Life? What would this look like? Or are you like Rebecca living in darkness; waiting for the Dawn of the Son to enter Your Life?
Things happen to us all the time; sometimes it is consequences of bad choices; Everyone of us have made bad choices at one time or another. We do not know what other people have possibly gone through. Sometimes when we have walked in public we hear the laughter, the jokes; a few of us walk in shame every time we go outside our homes. There was a time I did not even like going outside my home and even where I live some do not like me maybe because the way I look or because I am a foreigner. But I have learned that no matter what is said; no matter what they do I do not have to walk in shame. I do not have to be afraid. I am not going to teach my son to be afraid. I can have the peace that surpasses all understanding.
Some people are gifted; they are talented, they have good parents, they have attractive appearances; their parents are influential and are highly respected. So they cannot understand what it is like for those who have struggled so hard much of their lives.
They do not want to come to a poor community like Bugko; people who are fishermen and farmers. The Pharisees did not respect the disciples. Most were common people. A few of them were fishermen. Only a couple were professional people. Yet Jesus took these disciples and turned the world upside down.
For many Filipinos the Dawn of the Son does not arrive for them. Their family lives in poverty; many cannot even afford the necessities of life. Yet they are content with what they have. They thank God for the provisions he provides and it makes me happy to work in a community with people like this. I see people a lot worse off than I am. I am able to thank God for what He has blessed us with! No matter how little or great we have been blessed we can always find a reason to thank our heavenly Father for what he has done, what he is doing and what he will do in the future.
Today I want to show someone who can help you no matter what circumstances you find yourself in!
We will look at a story where grace is found in the midst of shame. Where reconciliation was made in the midst of a shameful crime. Carefully listen to this story and see which character(s) you identify with.
The Pharisees bring a woman in the midst of a crowd. The crowd is jeering and whispering and even laughing at this woman. She is barely dressed and best she may only be in a thin robe. She barely can cover her nakedness and she hides her shame even less. She has been found in the very act of committing adultery. There can be only one punishment for this crime. She is guilty as charged but there are mitigating circumstances. Her case is filled with half truths but no one seems to care. No one that is except Jesus.
Yet even when there seems to be no way; God finds a way to help us. The Pharisees bring her to Jesus. The Pharisees would like nothing better than to kill them both. They would execute both of these individuals and then throw a party to celebrate this momentous occasion. The crowd will see how good they are. Pride always goes before a fall. To them Jesus is a teacher and the woman is a cheater. Why not execute both of them; but she is merely a pawn and Jesus is the one they want to execute!
Do you see anything strange yet. Can you commit adultery by yourself. It takes two people even if you commit adultery in your heart. The man is let go. He is nowhere to be found.
But then we see Jesus kneeling on the ground. Drawing in the dirt. He really does not want to be in the middle of this dispute. They keep pushing; the law of Moses says that an adulterous woman should be stoned. She was caught in the very act. This was a half truth. The law of Moses said that the couple that commits adultery must be executed. The law did not specify the method. Stoning was the most popular method of execution in day of Jesus. Except in the Roman providences then it was by crucifixion. If you were a Roman citizen the method was through beheading the criminal. A Roman citizen was not allowed to be crucified.
As Jesus looks at her; his compassion is pouring out toward her; he sees the evil desires of their hearts. Jesus is wearing simple clothes. We do not know what he is writing; finally he stands up and replies “He that is without sin cast the first stone.” Then he bends down and continues writing.
Is this woman guilty? We already saw that she was. She does not confess her sin; she would if she thought she could find mercy. She would run but there is no place to run. She is crying and terrified; the look of despair upon her face and she is trembling before the crowd. Isn’t it so much easier to find the fault in someone else than in our own lives.
Illustration:
Most Filipinos will not know about Charles Mansion and his followers. He deceived many in thinking that he was Jesus. He was anything but Jesus. He brought many teenagers to their ranch camp as it was called. Susan Atkins was one of those teenagers. In August of 1969 he along with three other individuals after being strung out on drugs and alcohol. She was instrumental in helping to kill eight individuals in two separate nights. One was Sharon Tate; a famous movie star. All of these people were brutally murdered. When Sharon asked for mercy; Susan Atkins said, “I have none to give.” Sharon Tate was pregnant at the time of her murder.
This was a most shameful and cruel crime. She now has a brain tumor, and wants to be released to die at home. Now the family of Sharon Tate does not want her to be released. She is not the same person she used to be and she found God. Her life has been transformed. There reply is, “You did not have any mercy for Sharon Tate, and we are not going to have mercy on you either.”
If we do not show mercy to others when we are given an opportunity to do so; when we do not show mercy when we have an opportunity to do so; how are we any better than those who have hurt us? Jesus said if we do not forgive those who have hurt us our heavenly father cannot forgive us of our mistakes and shortcomings.
Sin is sin in God’s eyes. Do you see these men. Could they be lusting after this same woman that they are accusing of being an adulterer. Could they have committed adultery themselves. They were good in pointing out the sins of others, but not so good about pointing out their own mistakes. Very few men have not committed adultery in their heart at some time in their lives.
Yes it is shameful what this woman has done. When we sin and fall short of the glory of God we too are shameful.
The Pharisees was about law and order. No love and no mercy was shown to others. They would love only those who loved them. Their punishment was severe and swift. They added some 1500 laws to the law of Moses that was given to the Israelites while they were wandering in the wilderness.
Could they have set this woman up? Could they have paid the man to sleep with this woman in order that they could find a way to trap Jesus. They do not care about this woman’s reputation. They want to execute Jesus right along with this woman, and they will throw a party afterwards!
They have a big problem though Jesus already knows their hearts. They do not realize he can read their thoughts. They call this woman a cheater and Jesus a teacher and they do not mind getting rid of both of this individuals.
The Pharisees were right; a person committing adultery was to be put to death. But it does take two willing partners; unless a man happens to look lustfully at a woman. The woman may not know it. If the woman does know it , she may not be a willing participant.
The Pharisees determined what the law was and punishment for breaking the law. There were some Pharisees so afraid of lusting after a woman, they would not look at one; they would look down instead. They would run into things which caused their flesh to be torn; and thus got the term bleeding Pharisees.
It the Pharisees and other religious leaders were willing to give thirty pieces of silver to Judas to betray Jesus; could they have not paid a man to seep with this woman; in order to accuse her for bait to catch Jesus in a fault. The law of Moses said that they both must be put to death.
It has been suggested that when Jesus said “He that is without sin cast the first stone,” it was not just any sin. He was saying that those of them who have never lusted after a woman in their heart; to cast the first stone. Some could have been lusting after this very woman. Maybe some of the Pharisees had slept with her or another woman.
On the other hand Jesus might have been showing to us that sin is sin in God’s eyes. It doesn’t matter what it is. Sin has the same price tag and that is death. But God through Jesus Christ gives a way out.
The sad thing is that many Christians have done the same thing. It has also been said that Christians is the only people who bury their wounded. It is so much easier to find fault in others than looking at the fault in our own lives. Since Jesus has said he that is without sin cast the first stone; we are all exempt from throwing stones. Instead we should be involved in the ministry of reconciliation. Forgiving those who have hurt us. It is a great temptation to hang on to grudges and bitterness instead of letting it go. But when we do not let it go it just hurts us physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. When we do not forgive others than God will not forgive us either.
In the beginning of this story I talk about a Rebecca who beaten and raped and thrown over a 112 feet bridge; along with her sister. Both girls were killed that day but nineteen years later Rebecca would finally die. In the midst of her smile and perky outgoing personality she died 1000 times in a 1000 night mares. The Dawn of the Son never arrived for her.
Joni Erickson was not beaten or raped but she had a tragic accident at the age of seventeen. Her recovery was slow and at first she wanted to die. She is paralyzed from the neck down. She learned to first paint by holding the brush in her mouth. She has written several books and even works with other people with disabilities even today.
Both of these stories could have had fatal endings; but only one story ended in fatal consequences. We probably would not blame either one of these individuals for turning to alcohol and drugs but only one did.
The most tragic circumstance was that a two year old daughter had to grow up without a mother. I use both of these stories to show a simple truth. No matter what happens to us; we have the choice how we are going to respond to what has happened to us.
My sister told me she has more respect for me now than she has ever had. Many children who have been under the care of family services in the US does not survive. Some commit suicide, most end up in the prison system because they are not able to forgive others what they went through.
The difference for me is that I have had really good people like my sister to help me along the way. I did have to let go of all of my foster families except the one that I have in the Philippines. This is because for the longest time I had transference. I saw all foster families as bad. This was not the case at all. A few of these homes were not good to say the least. But I made a choice to make the best of my situation and to use my life to help others.
I have been a youth pastor since I was sixteen years old. I have always been involved with helping young people. I am still helping our young people even today here in the Philippines.
No matter what happens to us we can find the Dawn of the Son in our lives. We can become over comers. We can victorious through Jesus Christ. We do not have to remain victims all of our lives but we can become tools to be used by God. Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. Let Us Pray!
