The church vs. Jesus. John 8.3-11

Abuse of church authority is anathema to our Lord.  It drives people away from him, rather than drawing them to him . . . it crushes his heart and angers him to see what is said and done in his name. 

Look with me again at these first verses in John 8, where the religious leaders bring the sinning woman before Jesus.  This woman has no value whatsoever in their minds, except to trap Jesus.  ‘Religious leaders’ – somewhat akin to our elders and deacons today . . . shouldn’t they have been interested in restoring her to righteousness? 

“As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.            “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”                                                             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. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.                        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. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”                                                                                                                        “No, Lord,” she said.                                                                                                             And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” John 8.3-11

Two forces for authority in this scenario – the religious leaders and Jesus … the woman’s fate rested on them.  They used their authority to be critical and condemning of a person, rather than trying to draw her to repentance and restoration with God.  They believed in a kind of authority that is always looking to judge and mete out consequences, rather than seeing a woman who is loved by God, regardless of her sin, and needing to be set again in right relationship with him. 

I have to admit that the religious leaders remind me a lot of some in the Church today. 

Enter Jesus.  Brilliant in his simple lesson that day, Jesus established for all time that it is only those who are without sin have any right to judge another.  That makes things crystal clear, doesn’t it?  Do not be misled; Jesus did not look the other way on this woman’s sin.  He would deal with her sin of adultery, but he was interested in offering her another way—to choose again the way of righteousness.  To ‘go and sin no more’.

Unfortunately, so many today have made homosexuality the hill their church wants to die on.  God is the arbiter of holiness, not our culture, and not the clergy.  We understand God’s principles from the Holy Scriptures, and though hair lengths and customs may change, matters of sin and righteousness do not.  They are not affected by changes in culture or the popular media.  Scripture is clear that homosexuality is a sin.  In 1 Corinthians 6.9-10, Paul says “Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or anyone practicing homosexuality, no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom.”  Notice with me that homosexuality is one of the listed sins—yet it seems to be isolated today as the one that makes the judgmental most ready to ‘come out’ against! 

None of us will inherit God’s kingdom without the redeeming work of Jesus, which teaches the better way of love.  Paul mentions drunks and greedy people; yikes, perhaps the church needs to visit the pantries and wine closets of its members, and view their spending patterns, and talk about those for a while, simultaneously beginning a campaign of love for the homosexual so that it is safe for her to come to church.  Unfortunately, she is sure that church is the last place she will find any love.  That is wrong.

Friends, Jesus said, “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. For with the judgment you use, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.^”  Let us correct the injustices that are done in the name of God by leading with love.  Let us choose to be more like Jesus, who specializes in second chances, rather than judgmental, hyper-legalistic Christians, looking to catch people sinning.   

Let’s lead with love. You can start today by just giving folks the benefit of the doubt, believing the best and hoping the best….because that’s what love does.  

Christine

PastorWoman.com