An Unexpected Covering (Part 2 of 4)

Read John 8:2-11 (really 8:1-5 is focus this post)

Judgement -  criticize or condemn someone from a position of assumed moral superiority.

THE SCENE

Shame was plastered across her face, that is if one could see her face. It was hidden from view, nearly tucked in to her chest so as avoid eye contact with the smug religious leaders who had yanked her from the bed of her torrid affair only moments earlier. Sneers and shouts of onlookers who simply couldn't resist, "Slut, whore, home-wrecker..." was the refrain as she was dragged to the temple before this itinerant prophet she'd heard about. The crowed was tight around Jesus who was teaching them with power and authority. The pharisees nudge their way to the front and drop the huddled mass of shame at His feet anticipating this to be what catches Him off guard.

Something seemed highly suspect. They claimed that we were were coming to the temple for justice. These supposed religious leaders, who seem to tout their superior morality even in how they sized you up, were quoting from Deuteronomy 22:22 which says, "If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman. So you shall purge the evil from Israel."

Who is this man and why am I the one that gets to have all my dirty secrets displayed for all to see? Adultery does take two you know, there was actually a man ALSO in bed with me. Where's he? 

The questions flowed, but the most important was the one in v. 5 "Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This "mob mentality" had a mass oversight, however. It takes two to tango as they say but only 50% of the equation was present, thus betraying the fact that justice was never their aim. There was a court for such things so why bother this man who they had just attempted to discredit in the previous chapter (read John 7 for yourself)? The moral majority by name needs a crowed, and it would seem others were happy to oblige.

Turn your heart toward the woman for a moment. Consider things from her vantage point. She woke up that morning likely not thinking she would end up the public spectacle for the airing of her dirty laundry in front of a large gathering of worshippers. (In a brief aside: is this type of experience what is keeping you from being vulnerable and connected with other Christians - shame? You'll be found out?). Her greatest sin announced with a likely verdict laid down that would result in a slow and painful death by stoning. Even now, she lay on the ground as the dust settles and her eye's focus lands on stones that will inevitably be used and she calculates the threshold of pain she will be able to endure.

Mercy, for the scribes and Pharisees seems to be an untenable option. Judgment, however, seems to fit for the situation that lay before them.

This could go so many ways. Let's explore a few as we anticipate the Waymaker's response in Part 3.

1. If I have known Jesus for some time, does the Joy of His Spirit cause me to welcome "sluts, whores and home-wreckers" with equal grace as "put together folk" looking more like me? 
2. What sins do I deem I will be merciless toward? 
3. We've all been "sized up" by others (judged) and likely have even "sized up" our fellow humanity many times. Is there anything here in this story that you sense God may be speaking to you about? If so, how do you move forward?