Caught in the act

John 8:1-11. You know the story. A woman. Caught in the act of adultery. Forced out into the light of day. Into the light of the Temple of all places! Utter humiliation. Deep shame. Surrounded by highly respected religious leaders in the Jewish community. And 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?”

He was silent. But their questions would not cease. They wanted to trap him. To catch him doing something contrary to the Law. And boy, did they…

“Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Stunned silence.

As sinners saved by grace, this story leaves us shouting for joy or weeping with gratitude - or both - for the amazing love of our Savior. But I don’t believe for a minute those who came spouting accusations departed with softened hearts and a new understanding of grace. After all, it was the Jewish religious leaders who later sought to have Jesus killed; and eventually succeeded. And it was surely encounters like this that persistently fueled their self-righteous indignation and hatred of him. In one fell swoop, Jesus unequivocally placed himself above the Law.

We have the benefit of hindsight, but would we really have reacted so differently to this man Jesus?

------------------------------------------------------------------
Here in the 21st century, imagine you are caught in the act of murder. Caught in the very act. As a result, you are aggressively hauled into the police station where you are shoved into a chair directly across from the Chief of Police. While sitting there, head hung low, your angry accusers recount the depravity of your sinful act. There is no denying what you’ve done and the crowd takes pleasure in reminding the Chief of the required punishment by law. You deserve death. But something strange happens. As everyone waits with knowing expectation, including you, the Police Chief rises and says, “Let the one who has never despised, hated, or withheld forgiveness take her to the death chamber.”
------------------------------------------------------------------

Jesus waited until one by one, they all simply ... left.

“Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, sir.”

“Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Outrageous. So … wrong. Can we really blame the religious leaders for their outrage? The Law – God’s law – was clear. The response of Jesus was truly extreme. Can you imagine the Chief of Police saying, “Well, you know, everyone here has refused to forgive someone; or hated someone at one time or another, and that’s like committing murder in your heart. I’m not going to enforce the punishment required by law on her, but you can enforce it yourself if you are free of sin.” But that’s not all. Imagine the completely innocent Chief of Police then taking your death sentence upon himself. It wouldn’t make sense.

But that’s exactly what Jesus did. He stepped in and took your deserved punishment. He took my deserved punishment. He suffered a cruel, torturous death. The wild and crazy declaration Jesus made to the woman, “Neither do I condemn you,” boils down to one fantastic, overwhelming truth: Jesus LOVES you.

And don't miss this: Jesus didn't stick up for the woman after she cleaned up her act and chose a relationship with him. We don't know if she ever did. Jesus extended grace right when she was caught red-handed in humiliating sin - he didn't even ask if she was sorry. That's the Gospel message! Get to know this God-man Jesus. He isn't religious. He's radical. He's relationship-driven. And he will ASTOUND you!

I like to believe that woman's life was never the same. I like to believe she followed Jesus, wept at his crucifixion and rejoiced at his Resurrection. I like to believe she loved Jesus and loved others - because when she was caught in the act, Jesus didn't condemn her; he loved her.

Loving Jesus and loving others sets you free. That’s what you are, friend. You are free…from sin, from death…to live, to love.

Love is what was missing in the hearts and minds of the religious leaders. The big question is…is it missing in yours? Don't get caught in the act of religious superiority. Do get caught in the act of loving others. Every. single. day.

More than a wedding day

Who doesn't love a beautiful, romantic wedding? Especially us girls! I, for one, am a complete girly-girl. I love all the foo-foo, frilly, feminine things that make being female such FUN. (A little overkill on the alliteration?) Oh well!

From high tea at the Grand Floridian...

...to princess parties and ballet...

to my fairytale wedding day on a Caribbean island...

I simply adore being a girl. In fact, next to Christmas, my favorite holiday is Valentine's Day; because in my girly ways I love the whole idea of love itself.

But candidly, if I were to hang my hat on this thinking, it would not be healthy at all. You see, when a person is in love with love, they care more about the benefits of the relationship than the person with whom they are in the relationship. Being in love with love doesn't bode well for enduring the difficulties and conflict that are sure to arise. To put it bluntly, a lover of love won't care as much about the person as much as what that person can do for them.

As I was lunching with my friend, Heather, this week (another fun girl thing!), she made a sweet and meaningful analogy about our testimony as followers of Christ. In a nutshell, it's this...

Coming to faith in Christ = wedding day
Ongoing relationship with Christ = marriage relationship

So frequently it seems many Christians associate their testimony with their "wedding day" when they first came to Christ. But in reality, we are to have an ongoing testimony - a marriage relationship with Christ - that will continue to grow and thrive and transform us over time.

Now to be fair, it's absolutely a blast, and even important, to reflect on our "wedding day" testimony when we came to Christ! Just as those of us who are married reflect on our wedding day - sometimes in an effort to rekindle that first love we had for one another. But let's also make sure that we aren't simply in love with love where Christ is concerned. Ask yourself:

Am I in this relationship because of what Jesus can do for me?
Do I really care about what he wants?
When I obey him, do I expect him to do something good for me in return?
When things go poorly, do I turn my back on Jesus?
Am I striving to cultivate a relationship with him; to really know him more?

If our only testimony is to tout how awesome our wedding day was, it's time to get busy building the testimony of our marriage relationship. After all, it's during the day-in and day-out ups and downs; joys and heartaches; victories and failures where true intimacy happens - and the true love story comes to life. Our relationship with Jesus is to be an ongoing testimony of an on-fire love life. And that's what this girly girl finds both irresistibly attractive and delightfully satisfying about life with Jesus. It's so much more than a wedding day...

I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bride with her jewels. {Isaiah 61:10}

Need a good spanking?

It seems more and more people these days can't handle a little straight talk. Even the subject of "spankings" has become extremely controversial. If you don't like straight talk or a little fire in your conversations, you may want to move on with your day.

If, on the other hand, you don't mind a little in-your-face biblical truth, and perhaps even enjoy it; then read on. After all, Jesus wasn't shy about getting in the faces of the religious leaders in his day. Neither was Paul. Neither were countless others, frankly. And while there are certainly situations that call for some strong hand-holding, encouraging words, and a comforting hug; there are others that call for a little (or big) spanking.

My husband and I will sometimes comment to each other that one of our teenagers needs a really good spanking. It's like they are crying out for it! How so? Well, after they've been told something over and over; and they've even suffered the consequences of their poor choices; they sometimes choose to keep doing the same dumb thing again...and again. Can anyone relate?

I find that we are the same way in our individual relationships with God. He clearly tells us exactly how to treat one another; as well as how not to treat one another: For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. - Galatians 5:14-15

Are you listening? We fulfill everything God wants from us if we simply LOVE ONE ANOTHER. Come on now, ya'll. That's what God says to do. No excuses. If you say you are a follower of Jesus, and someone offends you, it's not okay to gossip or hold a grudge or treat them as if they are not worthy of a simple "hello." There are two options:

1. Overlook it! God says that is to your glory. And you'll be acting just like Jesus. Woo-hoooo!!! {Prov. 19:11}

2. If the offense is too serious to overlook, talk TO the person, not ABOUT them. {Matt. 18:15}

3. Yes, I know I said two options. This one isn't optional. Love one another.

And by the way, when you talk TO the person (not ABOUT him or her), make sure you talk to Jesus first. Ask him to guide your every word. I've seen him reconcile relationships beautifully and more honoring than ever when hearts are motivated by seeing him glorified. And I've seen Satan have his destructive way with those who are puffed up by their own perceived goodness and just want to get something off their chest - with no concern for the outcome or God's reputation.

A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends. - Proverbs 16:28

And one more thing. Don't judge your sister in Christ's motives. Don't presume to know why your brother in Christ is doing what he's doing. When you choose to go down this path, you are showing your true colors, not theirs. Most believers we know are truly good-willed people and really do want to honor Jesus with their lives. No one is perfect. We all fail; sometimes BIG. Because we're all a work in progress. That's why we proclaim we need Jesus! That's also why that big fancy word "sanctification" is called a process.

Don't pass judgment in hopes of disguising it as discernment. Discernment breeds wisdom, love, and a desire for unity. Condemnation breeds pride, a critical spirit, and division in the Body of believers. If you find yourself doing that, confess it. Repent and seek forgiveness from God and from those you have involved in your sin. Judging a person's motives is putting yourself above God. It's a dangerous and evil thing to do. ... Yes, evil. ... It is joining forces with Satan himself when we "bite and devour" another believer. Satan, after all, is the accuser of the brethren. We are participating in his plans to destroy God's kingdom work when we taint the reputation of one of God's own children through back-biting and godless chatter.

Now, if you happen to be reading this and you are holding something against a brother or sister in Christ, believe me I know you have good reason. Don't we all? I'm not even kidding. What they did was horrible. They aren't even sorry. You know their heart because look at their actions. You've tried to talk to them and it didn't make a difference.

You know what I say to any and all of that? So many excuses; so little love. God has given you grace upon grace that you don't deserve. At all. Period. That's why it's called grace. We are to love one another. We are to extend God's unbelievable grace to one another. We are to defend and protect our own; flaws and all; not bite and devour one another. We're a family. God says so. Let's act like it!

Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. - John 13:35

I've been spanked on this issue more than once; and I'm learning to truly embrace a life of loving and extending grace to others - especially my enemies. And while I doubt if I'll be in the clear until Heaven, it sure feels great doing it! I'm okay with the process. God's got me covered. Sometimes I just need a good spanking.