He Wastes Nothing
The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
“No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
I like this passage, a lot. I should write a poem or song about it, because it really is central to my belief. It has a lot to say about why God would ever come to earth. To free those who oppressed, and to make those who think they are good enough question themselves. He didn't waste this moment to show all of that.
It says something that the perfect, spotless, Son of God would not cast a stone.
It makes me wonder though, would this story have played out the same way today? I don't know. I can envision people today who would be brazen enough to believe that they are honorable enough to through a stone. Every day we have people in positions of power, raining hellfire down on people who they feel are just so wrong, and corrupt, and dirty, and not like them. Only to find out years, later that they have been doing the same things.
I think someone would have been brazen enough to throw that first stone. And after that, it would turn into a frenzy. "If he's good enough to do it, surely I am."
It is who we are. We are fallen. We are dark. We have no hope.
But I've heard it said that He wastes nothing.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
“No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
I like this passage, a lot. I should write a poem or song about it, because it really is central to my belief. It has a lot to say about why God would ever come to earth. To free those who oppressed, and to make those who think they are good enough question themselves. He didn't waste this moment to show all of that.
It says something that the perfect, spotless, Son of God would not cast a stone.
It makes me wonder though, would this story have played out the same way today? I don't know. I can envision people today who would be brazen enough to believe that they are honorable enough to through a stone. Every day we have people in positions of power, raining hellfire down on people who they feel are just so wrong, and corrupt, and dirty, and not like them. Only to find out years, later that they have been doing the same things.
I think someone would have been brazen enough to throw that first stone. And after that, it would turn into a frenzy. "If he's good enough to do it, surely I am."
It is who we are. We are fallen. We are dark. We have no hope.
But I've heard it said that He wastes nothing.
Comments
Post a Comment