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Aug 16, 2015

Sunday's Message: The Adulterous Woman

Sunday's Message: The Adulterous Woman

Passage: John 8:2-11

Speaker: Pat Botelle, Lay Speaker

Series: Women in the Bible

Category: Women

Keywords: adultery, sin, woman

The story of the woman who committed adultery shows us how Jesus dealt with sinners and how he will help us overcome our sins.

Today, we continue our series about women in the Bible by looking at one of the unnamed women of the Bible—the woman accused of adultery.

The scripture begins with the teachers of the religious law and the Pharisees bringing the woman before Jesus. As usual they are trying to trip Jesus up with their question: “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?” [1]

But the Law of Moses does not say stone her, in Leviticus it says “If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.”[2] And in Deuteronomy it says to take the “one who has done the evil deed to your city gate and stone that person to death. On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but no one shall be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.”[3]

So while the teachers and Pharisees were following the law to bring the woman forward, they did a few things that were not exactly what the law said.

First, where was the man? This is a sin where both parties are to be punished. Was the other person among the crowd or, perhaps, one of the accusers? We don’t know the answer, but we wonder…

Next, the teachers and Pharisees bring the woman to the temple in front of a huge crowd. Jesus was teaching in the temple with all the people around him. This is not what the Law of Moses indicates to do. The city gates are at the edge of the city away from the crowds. I also learned that, by this time in history, adultery had become so prevalent, that stoning, as punishment, was obsolete.

And last, the teachers and Pharisees say the woman was caught in the act, but where are the witnesses? The law requires two or three.

So here is this woman, in front of a huge crowd, alone, scared, humiliated.

And what does Jesus do, he bends down to write in the dirt. Why? Some commentators think Jesus purposely did not look at the woman and by stooping down and writing in the dirt; he was drawing attention away from her. Other commentaries think that this may have been a way of showing intentional disregard for the situation, ignoring the teachers and Pharisees. But the teachers and Pharisees were persistent and kept questioning him.

Jesus knew the woman was a sinner and committed an act that violated one of the Ten Commandments. That commandment states “do not commit adultery.” It does not say “do not commit adultery or you will be stoned to death.” The punishment was added later by men who were trying to keep the Israelites separate from the pagan practices of the cultures around them.

So Jesus stood up and said “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then he stooped down and started writing in the dirt again. Some think that at this point, Jesus is writing the sins of the teachers and Pharisees in the dirt so they know that he knows what they have done and that is why they walked away.

After the teachers and Pharisees are gone, Jesus stands and turns his attention to the woman. She is still standing there. She did not leave when her accusers left, she stayed. Why? Was she afraid to move or had she heard stories of this teacher and waited to see what he would say?

Jesus asks a simple question “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” and she answers “No.” Jesus then says “Neither do I condemn you, go now and leave your life of sin”, but he does not say, “I forgive you.” Why? Jesus knows that the woman needs to truly repent of her sins before he can forgive her. Does he know that it will be a challenge for her to change? Or is it because she needs to first seek forgiveness from those she has sinned against?

We all face times when we are confronted by others for our sins. The woman in this story was dragged in front of a crowd and in front of Jesus and forced to confront her sin. Hopefully none of us will have to go through that type of humiliation.

We all sin. The Seven Deadly Sins—a loose translation of Galatians 5:19-21—are pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed and sloth (avoidance of work, both physical and spiritual).

I admit that at times all of these sins creep into my life, but the sin of gluttony is the one I struggle with the most. I hate to think of my food cravings as sin. I’m a good person, I go to church, I follow the rules. I’m not a sinner. But we are all sinners and that is hard to hear.

I’m reading a book by Lysa TerKeurst called “Made to Crave.” She is a Christian writer and tells her story of her struggle with food. The subtitle of the book is “Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food.”

Here’s an entry she posted on her blog at the beginning of her journey in 2009. It’s entitled “Unsettle Me”:

Unsettle me.
 
These are the two words rattling about in my brain today. I almost wish it were a more glamorous prayer. Surely more eloquent words could be found for what I’m feeling led to pursue during this new year.
 
But these are the words and this is the prayer for my 2009.
 
The funny thing is, I’ve spent my whole existence trying to find a place to settle down. People to settle down with. And a spirit about me worthy of all this settled down-ness.
 
All of this is good. A contented heart, thankful for its blessings is a good way to settle.
 
But there are areas of my life that have also settled in ways that mock my desires to be a godly woman. Compromises, if you will.
Attitudes that I’ve wrapped in the lie, “Well, that’s just how I am. And if that’s all the bad that’s in me, I’m doing pretty good.”
 
I dare you, dear soul of mine, to notice the stark evidence of a spirit that is tainted and a heart that must be placed under the microscope of God’s Word.
 
Yes, indeed, unsettle me, Lord.
 
Unearth that remnant of unforgiveness.
 
Shake loose that justification for compromise.
 
Reveal that broken shard of pride.
 
Expose that tendency to distrust.
 
Unsettle me in the best kind of way. For when I allow Your touch to reach the deepest parts of me—dark and dingy and hidden away too long—suddenly, a fresh wind of life twists and twirls and dances through my soul.
 
I can delight in forgiveness and love more deeply.
 
I can discover a discipline that lies just beyond what I’m capable of and grab hold of God’s strength to bridge the gap.
 
I can recognize the beauty of humility and crave the intimacy with God it unleashes.
 
I can rest assured though harsh winds blow, I will be held.
 
Goodbye to my remnants, my rationalizations, shards and tendencies. This is not who I am nor who I was created to be.
Goodbye to shallow love, sharp words, self-pity, and suspicious fears. I am an unsettled woman who no longer wishes to take part in your distractions or destructions.
 
Welcome deeper love, new possibilities, unleashed intimacy and the certainty I am held.
 
Welcome my unsettled heart.
 
Welcome 2009.[4]
 

The woman brought before Jesus was unsettled, I’m sure, by what happened and what Jesus said to her. Like the woman, we need to be unsettled. We need to realize we need God to overcome whatever is going on. 1 Peter 5:6-7 says “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”[5]

This morning everyone will have a chance to be unsettled, to humble ourselves under the power of God and give our worries, our cares, our sins to God. In your bulletin there is a piece of paper for you to write your worries, cares or sins on. When you are ready, crumple up that piece of paper, making it into your “stone”, bring it forward, along with your offering, and put it down at the feet of Jesus. No one will read anything you write. This is between you and God. Then the clowns have a gift for you. Also feel free to kneel at the rail for a time of quiet prayer and reflection.

 

[1] Life Application Bible, New International Version of the Holy Bible, published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Wheaton, Illinois and Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan. John 8:4-5
[2] Ibid. Leviticus 20:10, emphasis added
[3] Ibid. Deuteronomy 17:5-6
[4] Lysa TerKeurst, “Made to Crave” (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2010), p. 171-172
[5] Life Application Bible, 1 Peter 5:6-7