FWD: Morning Manna May 11-BP: Jn. 8:1-11; RBTTY: Jn. 2; II Kings 13-14

 
Samuel D. High
sdhigh@aristotle.net

 

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-----Original Message-----
From: "Smith, Lynn " <lsmith20@Central.UH.EDU>
Sent: Sat, 10 May 2008 05:02:23 -0500
To: "Smith, Lynn " <lsmith20@Central.UH.EDU>
Subject: Morning Manna May 11-BP: Jn. 8:1-11; RBTTY: Jn. 2; II Kings 13-14
 

May 11                                                                             “Neither Do I Condemn You”

 

“When Jesus had lifted up Himself and saw none but the woman, He said unto her, ‘Woman, where are those, your accusers?  Has no man condemned you?’  She said, ‘No man, Lord.’  And, Jesus said unto her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more’.”

                                                                                                                      John 8:10-11

     He’s the only One qualified to do it; yet, He’s chosen to pray for us instead (Rom. 8:33-34).

     She was dead-to-rights guilty.  They’d caught her in the very act of adultery (v.4).  No doubt she was scantily clad or perhaps only had a blanket pulled around her.  And, we can well imagine those who’d caught her in the act had blood in their eyes as they dragged her down the street and threw her down at Jesus’ feet.

 

     Even now we can see the shame and horror on her face, as she lay there in the dirt weeping—her tears forming tiny rivulets as the ran down her dust-streaked face.  And, even now we can here the crowd’s jeers and call for her stoning according to Moses’ Law.

 

     It’s clear that their main focus here was not on the adulterous woman; it was on catching Jesus in their trap (vv.5-6a).  Condemning crowds are always more concerned with enforcing the letter of the Law than they are in embracing its spirit (II Cor. 3:6).  And, in their case they wanted nothing better than to trip Jesus up and hopefully expose Him for the imposter they believed Him to be.

 

     But, He didn’t fall for their ploy (v.6b).

     Instead, He quietly “stooped down and began writing on the ground as if they weren’t present.”  No doubt this further incensed them when they thought He was ignoring them; so, they “continued asking Him what He had to say concerning Moses’ instructions to stone someone guilty of adultery” (v.7a).

 

     Then, without any notice, the Son of God/Son of Man stood up and with an unwavering voice said, “You who are without sin, let him cast the first stone” (v.7b).  And immediately “He stooped down and began writing on the ground again” (v.8).

 

     You could have heard a pin drop.

     Seconds, which likely seemed like hours, went by and slowly—one by one, from “the eldest to the youngest” (v.9)—the crowd began to disperse.  No doubt the haughtier mob members were the most reluctant to leave, firmly clutching their rock and wanting so badly to hurl it at the woman. . .and Jesus.

     But, they couldn’t. . . “being convicted in their own conscience” (v.9).

     Finally, when everyone had left, Jesus stood up once again and asked the guilt-ridden woman, “Where are your accusers?  Is there no one left to condemn you?”  And, quietly she replied, “No man, Lord.”  How wonderful to hear Him say “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more in the way you were sinning.”  And, how wonderful to know that He still is willing to say the same thing to us today.  Hallelujah!!

 

 

Thanks,

 

 

Mr. Lynn M. Smith

Department Business Administrator

Department of Economics

University of Houston

204C McElhinney Hall

Houston, TX 77204-5019

(713) 743-3802 (office)

(713) 743-3798 (fax)

LSmith20@central.uh.edu (email)

http://www.class.uh.edu/econ/ (department website)