Post by Ben johnson on Jul 5, 2003 4:30:47 GMT -5
This is my interpretation of the Biblical story (Jn8:1-11)
Who knows what discussions occurred in how many dingy taverns over what number of mugs of ale. How did they choose her? She was just convenient. And HIM---perhaps they drew straws.
He met with her, a price was negotiated. She followed him to the back room. She began to disrobe, to lay with him... BAM!!! the door flew open! A group of men burst in and grabbed her. She turned to him for protection, but he was leering WITH them!
Some time later, Jesus was teaching in the square. Suddenly there was a commotion. This little group of smug "justice-seekers" came pushing through the crowd. They threw her down in front of Him. She reached out to break her fall, but bruised her arm nonetheless. She cowered there, pale, shaking, her face buried in her hands.
They all carried stones.
"Tell us what to do with her!" Their leader snarled. "We caught her in adultery, in the very act!" There was no mention of who she had been WITH.
They stood there grasping their stones hard. She was sweating now, a cold sweat---waiting for the death that could not be avoided.
The stones were not for her. Oh no, they were for JESUS. How clever they were! It was a TRAP!!! Jesus would DIE TODAY!!! If He said "release her", He would break the Law, they would STONE HIM! If He said "stone her", His ministry of love was a lie! They would STONE HIM!!! They fairly hugged themselves at their cleverness---there was no way out.
"Well?! What should we DO?!"
Jesus looked at them. Their courage began to waver. This look---He was seeing into the depths of their hearts, and they knew it. He knelt, and began to write on the ground. What do you suppose He wrote? Places, names, dates perhaps? "Jennifer. The Wayfarer's Inn, last Friday. Room 3. Heather, behind the butcher's shop, Saturday." Several of the men gasped. One muttered, "How'd He know THAT ? ? ?"
He stood and looked at them again. The last trace of their courage turned to smoke and blew away. "Let he who is without THIS SIN cast the first stone." A couple of them glanced back down at the writing. One by one their faces bent toward the ground, and their shoulders fell. A stone clattered to the street impotently. One by one they quietly turned and shuffled away.
"WHY DON'T THEY JUST KILL ME AND GET IT OVER WITH ?! ?!" she screamed silently in her mind. There was no way out, she was going to die, and she knew it. A stone clattered nearby. Her heart stopped. Silence, time, more time. Her sweat and tears formed little puddles on the cobblestones. Several shades of pale, a tiny ball, trembling on the ground, her face still buried in her hands. She shook with quiet sobs.
Something touched her shoulder! She gasped!!! But it was not a STONE, it was a HAND! It grasped her, and raised her gently to her feet. A thousand words in that gentle touch! Her hands came away from her face, and she saw the eyes. She lost herself in those eyes, eyes that saw to the depths of her soul. Eyes that revealed every secret, every fear, every vice, every thing. And all she could see was love and acceptance! Clear as if it was carved in rock, unconditional love and acceptance. Shining from those eyes!!! She had never felt that before. He spoke!
"Woman, where are those who condemn you?"
For a long moment she could not break that gaze. Then her head spun to the left, then to the right. She frowned. They were GONE!!! For the first time in hours, she actually thought of living! A ton of bricks fell from her shoulders! She drew a deep breath. A deeper breath than she'd had in a long time. She turned back to Him, back to those eyes. She looked a million miles into those eyes.
"There is no one, Lord."
He smiled. SMILED at her! "Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and do this no more."
He had removed her heart that day, melted it down in his own hand, and re-cast it. It was a new heart, full of song, full of joy, full of LOVE. He was her Lord! Forever!!!
Can we withstand such love? Will we remain with hearts-of-ice before Him who loves us as much as her? Will we stupidly cling to our pride and filthy rags, refusing Him who offers so much?
Reach out your hand, and take His! And with your other hand, TAKE OURS!!! Let us rejoice in His presence, walking hand-in-hand with Him.
Let us dwell in the House of the Lord FOREVER!!!
Who knows what discussions occurred in how many dingy taverns over what number of mugs of ale. How did they choose her? She was just convenient. And HIM---perhaps they drew straws.
He met with her, a price was negotiated. She followed him to the back room. She began to disrobe, to lay with him... BAM!!! the door flew open! A group of men burst in and grabbed her. She turned to him for protection, but he was leering WITH them!
Some time later, Jesus was teaching in the square. Suddenly there was a commotion. This little group of smug "justice-seekers" came pushing through the crowd. They threw her down in front of Him. She reached out to break her fall, but bruised her arm nonetheless. She cowered there, pale, shaking, her face buried in her hands.
They all carried stones.
"Tell us what to do with her!" Their leader snarled. "We caught her in adultery, in the very act!" There was no mention of who she had been WITH.
They stood there grasping their stones hard. She was sweating now, a cold sweat---waiting for the death that could not be avoided.
The stones were not for her. Oh no, they were for JESUS. How clever they were! It was a TRAP!!! Jesus would DIE TODAY!!! If He said "release her", He would break the Law, they would STONE HIM! If He said "stone her", His ministry of love was a lie! They would STONE HIM!!! They fairly hugged themselves at their cleverness---there was no way out.
"Well?! What should we DO?!"
Jesus looked at them. Their courage began to waver. This look---He was seeing into the depths of their hearts, and they knew it. He knelt, and began to write on the ground. What do you suppose He wrote? Places, names, dates perhaps? "Jennifer. The Wayfarer's Inn, last Friday. Room 3. Heather, behind the butcher's shop, Saturday." Several of the men gasped. One muttered, "How'd He know THAT ? ? ?"
He stood and looked at them again. The last trace of their courage turned to smoke and blew away. "Let he who is without THIS SIN cast the first stone." A couple of them glanced back down at the writing. One by one their faces bent toward the ground, and their shoulders fell. A stone clattered to the street impotently. One by one they quietly turned and shuffled away.
"WHY DON'T THEY JUST KILL ME AND GET IT OVER WITH ?! ?!" she screamed silently in her mind. There was no way out, she was going to die, and she knew it. A stone clattered nearby. Her heart stopped. Silence, time, more time. Her sweat and tears formed little puddles on the cobblestones. Several shades of pale, a tiny ball, trembling on the ground, her face still buried in her hands. She shook with quiet sobs.
Something touched her shoulder! She gasped!!! But it was not a STONE, it was a HAND! It grasped her, and raised her gently to her feet. A thousand words in that gentle touch! Her hands came away from her face, and she saw the eyes. She lost herself in those eyes, eyes that saw to the depths of her soul. Eyes that revealed every secret, every fear, every vice, every thing. And all she could see was love and acceptance! Clear as if it was carved in rock, unconditional love and acceptance. Shining from those eyes!!! She had never felt that before. He spoke!
"Woman, where are those who condemn you?"
For a long moment she could not break that gaze. Then her head spun to the left, then to the right. She frowned. They were GONE!!! For the first time in hours, she actually thought of living! A ton of bricks fell from her shoulders! She drew a deep breath. A deeper breath than she'd had in a long time. She turned back to Him, back to those eyes. She looked a million miles into those eyes.
"There is no one, Lord."
He smiled. SMILED at her! "Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and do this no more."
He had removed her heart that day, melted it down in his own hand, and re-cast it. It was a new heart, full of song, full of joy, full of LOVE. He was her Lord! Forever!!!
Can we withstand such love? Will we remain with hearts-of-ice before Him who loves us as much as her? Will we stupidly cling to our pride and filthy rags, refusing Him who offers so much?
Reach out your hand, and take His! And with your other hand, TAKE OURS!!! Let us rejoice in His presence, walking hand-in-hand with Him.
Let us dwell in the House of the Lord FOREVER!!!
**chuckle**
