As Jesus, I Said…

THURS., JUNE 29, 1995, 6:52 AM
FARM, STUDY

Your study of My ministry, as Jesus, continues in this early Wednesday morning way, around the breakfast table. You are a small gathering, a Church within a church, coming together regularly to share a simple meal and share questions, answers and insights about portion of My Holy Scriptures. Do I approve of this? Most certainly. Would that more of you Presbyterians be as willing to learn of Me in such a way.

The passage that brought forth yesterday’s discussion was familiar, reassuring, and then quite troublesome. It began with a familiar story, with the interchange taking place before a crowd gathered to hear Me, as Jesus. A woman, caught in the act of adultery was presented by some of the Jewish leaders. The custom was to stone her to death, even there within the temple, and without any protracted trial. Sins against the cultural norms… and presumably against My 10 Commandments… were to be punished quickly, so that the sinner would surely sin no more, and that the example for others would be clear and sure.

From your cultural perspective you noted that if she had been caught in the act there had to be a man involved, with him being the initiator and the “one on top.” There, of course, was no such man. The woman was the only sinner, so the interpretation went. When asked for judgment I simply invited the leader who had committed no sin, of any kind, to hurl the first stone, with other non-sinners following, presumably. The eldest must have considered his lifetime of activity, and while it may not have included adultery, there were other commandments… Could he proclaim to a crowd that he was without sin of any sort? When all of them had moved away, also not willing to proclaim paragon status I said to the woman, “Go, and sin no more.”

I was forceful, tricky, and gently forgiving. She had sinned blatantly and physically, and I did not condemn her. Would she “sin no more”? The story doesn’t guarantee this, but it must have been a powerful experience for her.

And for the Jewish leaders? It was humiliating… anther confrontation that proclaimed that I was a danger to their power and influence. They were not bad men, but in their “leadership” they had lost much of the virtue of humility. But they were most responsible for maintaining the traditional faith. It was the basis of the life for these Jews, who saw themselves as My chosen people. As Almighty God I had led them out of slavery in Egypt and given them Moses as their leader and, through him, these Commandments. The people, over the years, had a tendency to fall away from dedication to Me. The leadership had to be tough. Forgiveness was weakness.

There was to be a Messiah, Who, with supreme toughness, would deliver them from Roman rule and from their other troubles. With His leadership they would be a triumphant people.

Now I, as Jesus, was forgiving and, in so doing, was undermining their authority. And then I proclaimed to them that I was that Messiah, sent from God, Whom they called their Father. And if they didn’t believe in Me, as the Son and as equal to the Father, they were sons of the devil and would be forever removed from this God who had chosen them and Whom they served, however imperfectly.