The Day You Found True Love

What is your goal in life? What do you hope to accomplish by the time your life ends? Life is such a precious thing and yet we many times squander it on petty activities. We use our lives as we see fit and in most of those cases we find that our time could have been used better. Do you have any steps to that goal? Have you made any progress? Maybe you are looking in the wrong direction for your purpose and life goal? We have this habit of living day to day and never looking for a greater purpose or meaning. Listen and see one episode in the ministry of Jesus. Look at the characters and how they interacted.

DRAMA: Jesus walks in and sits down on the stage where he can be seen and begins some basic teaching on serving God verses serving money. Soon the Pharisees bring a woman and throw her in front of Jesus.

[Pharisee] – “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the first five books of our Bible we are commanded to stone such women; what then do you say?”

[Jesus] – stoop down and start writing on the ground because of the foolishness of their reasoning…

The Pharisee should be very snooty and uptight!

[Pharisee] – “Come on and give us an answer. You are a great teacher. Shouldn’t you know? The entire crowd here wants to hear how you would handle this situation. What do you do with sinners such as this?”

Jesus should stand up to face the Pharisee in the eye and confront the crowd

[Jesus] – “The person here who does not have any sin and has never sinned, you throw the first stone.” Stoop down and continue playing in the sand…

The Pharisees should leave one by one starting from oldest to youngest with deep and thoughtful looks on their faces…Jesus should then stand up and look around and then at the woman.

[Jesus] – “Woman, where did everyone go? Not a single one threw a stone did they?

[Woman] – “No one, Lord. They have all left.”

[Jesus] – “I will not condemn you either. Go and from now on stop sinning the way you have. Your sin has been forgiven.”

This story found in John 8 depicts as you have seen, three different people in three very different walks of life. Two of those three had the same problem, just different perspectives. The last one stood between the two, trying to help each understand the truth of the situation and the truth they needed for life. Each of these three has their own story and lesson.

The Pharisee – “Has It All” – Not Like Them

The Pharisees and scribes are at the top of the caste system in the later years of Judea and Israel itself. The Jewish religion still ruled the region and ruled the actions of the people. They had the entire Old Testament in their hands and knew it by heart. These were the men that showed up in front of Jesus with an ashamed and embarrassed girl. They had even caught the girl in the act of promiscuity. What were they doing finding this girl doing this? Maybe the girl had come to one of them at their request and they found this to be a convenient opportunity to test Jesus. Maybe they were one of the ones getting involved in the promiscuity. However they found this woman, they brought her to test and see if Jesus would break the Law given to Moses. Jesus refuses to answer them and so they get frustrated and flustered and demand an answer from Him. They had to catch Him this time, how could he not admit the supremacy of the Law of Moses without denying that God wrote it? How dare he ignore such important men?! They were nothing like the sinner that they had placed before Him.

These men would have watched the news about people rioting for food and electronics and say “I am glad I am not like them.” Man, who could get so desperate that they would attack someone for a laptop. They would see the drunk walking down the sidewalk and go across the street because they could never be associated with someone like that. “I am not like that, I don’t drink until I am plastered. I am a good person. I don’t drink, smoke, or cheat on my spouse.” These men show up at church and sit in their spot each and every week, proud that they have made it once more. They shake hands with their friends and neighbors and act quite friendly. They sit during the service singing and listening to the preacher. Once the service is over they say their goodbyes and leave to meet again next week. They think of how the sermon really should help so many others. Yes, they are good people. They have it all. A good house, spouse, money, and can indulge their wants.