I mentioned last week that we were going to look at different characters from the TV show “Lost.”
Tonight, I want to focus on the character named Claire. She is pregnant when the story begins. The first several episodes show that she got pregnant by her boyfriend and her boyfriend leaves her. She has to deal with the result of her sin on her own.
She is excited about the baby, but has no one to share the joy. She has doubts and fears about raising the child, but she has nobody to turn to.
And throughout the country teenage girls find themselves in a similar position. We see how many Christians react; quick to judge, quick to shun, and quick to abandon.
But the sins that are treated this way, are not just adultery…they can be anything.
Some of us here tonight have been treated harshly by the church or by others. Some of us have been caught in the very act of sin—and what we have done is sin, even though society may not call it that, and then we are confronted by the armchair judges who want to justify themselves by judging harshly.
Like Claire, they have been abandoned by everybody because of our sin.
But Jesus shows us a different way for those of us in the church to respond and how Christ responds to us.
Tonight, may be the first time that you come to know that Jesus loves you no matter what you have done or where you have been. He loves you for who you are.
Look with me at John 8:1-11
8 Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. 3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and Pharisees brought a woman they had caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.
4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”
6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, stone her. But let those who have never sinned throw the first stones!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.
9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to her, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”
11 “No, Lord,” she said.
And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
1. Accusation of the Religious
We see here in this passage the ugly face of religion. I talk to a lot of people – and one of the biggest complaints I get is about people who are just like this. These Pharisees know the law. And in their arrogance and selfish motives they bring a woman who is caught in adultery out in front of the crowed.
Let’s get the imagery right. This is like me dragging a female soldier caught in the very act of adultery, we all know that means – having sex with someone other then your spouse (whether you are single or not). I bring this soldier out in front of this congregation to accuse her. Better yet bring her out in front of the battalion formation.
Can you imagine how she must have felt:
Embarrassed?
Ashamed?
Betrayed?
Alone?
The same way others feel when we judge them.
One of my hobbies is photography. I love to use several rolls of film on a photo shoot. All in all - all of the pictures turn out ok. But I usually narrow them down to about 10 when I finally show them to people.
I scrutinize each photo. Many I put in a box. Many I throw away – after I have thoroughly studied their flaws.
But, I am:
Number one – Creator, I can do with them what I want
Number two – I am the judge, based on the specific criteria that I like to see in a picture THAT is what I keep.
I have studied photography for awhile. I know the rules. I know what to look for.
The Pharisees knew the law. But the problem is they were not the creator.
The Pharisees knew that Leviticus 20:10 says:
10 “If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife, both the man and the woman must be put to death”
And they knew similarly Deuteronomy 22:22 says
22 “If a man is discovered committing adultery, both he and the other man’s wife must be killed. In this way, the evil will be cleansed from Israel.
Although they don’t bring both of the guilty, they feel justified in bringing this woman in front of the crowd.
What are they trying to prove?
Verse 6 makes it very clear.
6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger.
The Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus. If Jesus said to stone her they could report him to the Romans, if he said to let her go they could say that he doesn’t follow the Law of Moses.
But there is a more important point. When they bring her to Jesus they are trying to make themselves look good. And the same is true for us.
When we judge and condemn others, we are trying to make ourselves look good.
Jesus tells us in Mathew 7:1-3
7 “Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. 2 For others will treat you as you treat them. Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged. 3 And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?
We are not to Judge! It is not our job. That’s God’s job. We need to stay in our lane.
There is so much we can find fault with others. The way they talk, they way they dress, what magazines people read, what people eat or drink or smoke.
But when we begin to forget that our attitudes aren’t always the best, our language isn’t always the best, what we may read may not glorify God, what movies we watch may not be the best.
Face it – we all need to be judged rather harshly. We need to learn to see people as Jesus see them.
2. Response of a Relationship
How does Jesus see them? Jesus sees them through the eyes of a relationship.
Look at Verse 7-8
7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, stone her. But let those who have never sinned throw the first stones!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.
He defended her and stood up for her. He knew that the Pharisees had completely missed the point of the law.
Look in Deuteronomy 6:5
5 And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands I am giving you today
and Leviticus 19:18
18 “Never seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
The point of the law is to love God. Jesus says in Matthew 22 that these are the summation of the law. We are the Love God first and Love our neighbors – there is nothing in what the Pharisees are doing is about loving the law.
He has a relationship with us.
When you have a relationship with someone correction and discipline take on a different personality.
This is why NCO’s don’t fraternize with lower enlisted. Because good order demands it. It is the NCO’s job to correct and discipline. A relationship softens that – it is human nature.
Take for instance, my dog; Sassy. I mention her because we all know that Dogs are people too!
I love that dog, but sometimes she causes problems.
But my wife doesn’t understand why I always take her side.
She barks and wakes the babies – well, she trying to protect them.
She chews up the babies toys – well we shouldn’t have left it on the floor.
She wets the floor – well, I forgot to take her out.
She eats out of the kitty liter – well, that’s just gross. But she’s a dog! That what dog’s do!
My wife just doesn’t understand that when you have a relationship with somebody – you just have to love them.
And Jesus has the same relationship with us.
He doesn’t make excuses, but he loves us even when we eat out of the kitty-litter!
And he stands up for us. While the world is quick to judge us, he doesn’t. He gently helps us find our way – so that we may grow to love him more.
But he doesn’t us off the hook either.
3. Change of Repentance
Look at Verse 10 -11, I want you to look at one thing before we start.
Notice how Jesus is alone.
Verse 9
9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.
Jesus was the only one that had permission to stone her and he was face to face with her. And He says basically; (in verse 11)
The sinners didn’t condemn you neither will I.
Jesus is perfect, never having committed one sin. He was tempted, but never fell. But he knows how incredibly hard temptation can be – but Jesus is perfect and doesn’t condemn her.
Verse 10 -11
10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to her, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”
11 “No, Lord,” she said.
And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
Jesus says to the woman, “Go and sin no more.”
He doesn’t say – “Its ok honey. They are just mean people.”
or “Don’t worry, they are just close minded.”
Or “They just don’t understand you.”
He said, “Go and sin no more!”
Basically he told her, “You have been living in a sin. What you were doing was not right, so stop doing it.”
This wasn’t smash her head with the Bible or stick the two figures and say “shame” ,this is a by legitimate “what you are doing is wrong, now stop it”.
But he wins the right to say these things because he has built a relationship with that person.
If the relationship has not been met then the person will not have any reason to listen to you.
I say this many times in regards to fowl lauguage…
“ you don’t change the heart by cleaning the month;
You clean the mouth by changing the heart.”
And you can insert the sin anywhere.
God is the one who ultimately changes our hearts. And God is interested in changing our hearts. We clean up our life through wanting to obey him and love him. We obey God’s law because we are no longer a slave to the old life of sin.
But the truth of the mater is that Jesus loves us. No matter what we’ve done. Who we’ve been with. Where we’ve gone. He Loves us and wants to give us a meaningful life.
And you can have a meaningful life today if you will simply accept his payment for your sin tonight.
After the service, you can find me or speak with one of the other chaplain’s here tonight.
Let us pray
