2008.06.22 Where the World and the Devil are Attacking

Scripture: John 7:53 – 8:11

There is a quote from the church reformer Martin Luther that I would like to share with you today:

If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point that the world and the devil are at the moment, attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages is where the loyalty of the soldier is proved, and to be steady on all the battlefield besides is merely flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point.
(Luther's Works. Weimar Edition. Briefwechsel [Correspondence], vol. 3, pp. 81f.)

I read this quote in a magazine back in January 2003. I was struck deeply by its accusation—that no matter how faithful I was in teaching and preaching—or in other words, professing Christ—I was failing miserably at confessing Christ—meaning, having my words and actions of faith address the hard issues, the places where the world and the devil are attacking.

I cut this quote out and posted it in my office, where it has been for the last five and a half years. I have thought about it on occasion, but this week more so—because this is the week that, for the second time, gays and lesbians across our state have been granted permission to marry. I have heard the arguments in favor of this action, and I do not dispute them legally, but that’s b/c I do not know law. Socially, however, I believe that there are some far-reaching implications to the decision that will adversely affect our society as a whole, the church and my children.

Yet somewhere in the back of my mind, there was one question that kept popping up. It is a question of doubt. The question is: what if God thinks it is okay?

In our own denomination, we do not officially allow same-gender marriages, nor do we allow the ordination of gays or lesbians—either as deacons, elders or ministers. We do, however, allow same-sex unions. I know a whole lot of wonderful pastors who fiercely believe that our denomination should allow for more rights; some of these pastors even practice open defiance of our denominational rules. They are great people, sincere and faithful. So sometimes, and particularly this week, I’ve wondered, what if God thinks it is okay?

However, this message is not about my struggle with this question—or even God’s answer to the question. Instead, I want to address the bigger picture. Regardless of which “side” of the debate I may ultimately fall, the reality is that I have not engaged this particular issue, although it is one of the points where the world and the devil are attacking our faith, dividing churches, families and friends. I have failed to confess, to take a stand, to be bold. I have failed to be a witness—one who testifies of God’s work in this world.

And in that sense, my failure is not only in the area of the role of gays and lesbians in our society, but my failure can extend to other issues as well. I don’t like to rock the boat. I grew up as one of very few Asians at an all-white public school in the Atlanta suburbs. I have distinct memories of kids teasing me for being Asian; many could not understand why I said I was from Korea when they knew for sure that I must be Chinese; my friend’s mom once asked me why my parents couldn’t get me clothes “like the other (white) kids.” Taking a stand is not something that comes easily for me.

However, I did not choose the life of faith because it is easy—the truth is, it is not. In Matthew 10:32, Jesus says:

10:32 "Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

My failures—and perhaps your failures—to take a stand at the times and places where the world and the devil are at the moment attacking.. these failures need to be taken seriously.

So today we are going to look at a passage that addresses failure. It comes from John 7:53 to 8:11. In nearly every Bible where you find this passage, there will be a footnote that says something similar to this:

[The earliest and most reliable manuscripts and other ancient witnesses do not have John 7:53-8:11.]

The reason for this notation is that, although this passage is found in the Gospel of John, it stands apart from the rest of that book. The style, syntax and vocabulary of these 12 verses match much better with the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) than with John. It is certain that John did not write this passage. However, regardless of its placement, there is no dispute that this passage is authentic and belongs in the Bible.

There are three parties in this narrative from John: Jesus, the teachers & Pharisees, and a woman. As each of the latter two interact with Jesus, we gain understanding about how our Lord deals with failure:

7:53 Then each went to his own home.
8:1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6a They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

Jesus is in the Temple courts teaching. He is surrounded by a group of people who are listening to him speak. Their learning is interrupted—or perhaps it is given a real-life application—when some teachers of the law and the Pharisees bring over a woman. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees are folks who are known for their understanding of God’s law. If anyone was “perfect” according to the letter of the law, it was these guys.

They bring over a woman—but not just any woman. They bring one who has broken the law, one who “was caught in the act of adultery.” I once read a book called Really Bad Girls of the Bible by Liz Curtis Higgs. She has an entire chapter devoted to the story of this particular woman, and here is a summary of how she describes this opening scene:

At dawn, the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees tarried by a nameless woman's door, itching to drag her out of bed and into the temple, where Jesus was teaching. Moments later, half-dressed at best, the woman was forced to "stand before the group" (John 8:3), like Hester Prynne wearing her scarlet letter, cheeks stained with shame.

The words of the Pharisees were harsh, accusatory: "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery" (John 8:4). This woman? Look, she wasn't alone in that bed. Where was her partner in crime? Sleeping in? Reading the Mount Olives Times? Since Mosaic Law insisted "both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death" (Leviticus 20:10), how come they weren't both hauled into the temple?

Listen, the Pharisees weren't interested in punishing the man or the woman. They were after Jesus. And so they threw words at him, sharper than any rocks: "In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" (John 8:5).

-Liz Curtis Higgs

At the beginning of verse 6, we are told that “they were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing” Jesus. What was the trap?According to Mosaic law (the law given by Moses as the Hebrews became the nation of Israel)—according to Mosaic law, both the man and the woman who were caught in adultery must be stoned and there should be witnesses to corroborate the charges. However, there are no witnesses brought, and it is only the woman who stands there, humiliated. It is an obvious trap, particularly b/c it is the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees—whose who knew that the law required these things..

If Jesus said, “Let her go,” the teachers and Pharisees could accuse him of breaking Moses’ Law. On the other hand, if Jesus gave them permission to stone her, he would be breaking Roman law, which did not allow death for anyone without the government’s approval.

So what does Jesus do?

6b But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.

There is this build-up of tension—the arrival of the teachers and Pharisees at the Temple courtyard, along with the woman who had been caught. The group strides purposefully toward Jesus; the crowd makes room for them to come closer to their target; the case is presented with boldness and perhaps not a little bit of arrogance. The question is posed: “Now what do you say?”

And Jesus refuses to walk into the trap. He brings the drama to a screeching halt by simply bending down and starting to write on the ground. In the Mediterranean world at that time, and even now, Jesus’ non verbal actions are recognized as an act of refusal and disengagement with the drama as it has been presented.

The teachers and the Pharisees, however, persisted because they recognized Jesus’ refusal, which was a non-answer. They wanted an answer.

7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

With one simple sentence, Jesus takes the teachers and the Pharisees—and the crowd that he was teaching—straight to the heart of the matter. The Greek phrase for “the one without sin” is about sin that is linked to actions. Jesus is calling these men to accountability for their past actions and how they have obeyed (or not obeyed) the Law—the same law that they have been willing to distort in order to entrap Jesus. The superficial cause of the situation was a legal issue; Jesus shows them that the real situation is a moral one.

By making his statement, Jesus puts the teachers and the Pharisees on equal ground with the woman who was caught in adultery.

In our Sunday Bible study time, we have been working on a Christian discussion guide titled “Don’t All Religions Lead to God?” It is an interesting study that challenges us to consider perspectives held by non-Christians. What I have noticed in each of our weekly meetings is that, because our entire group is Christian, our conversation can easily become “us and them.” Whether “them” may be atheists, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses or some other non-Christian group, it is easier to depersonalize and label a group as “them” than it is to wrestle with real faces, real friendships, real people.

Jesus reveals to us that there is no “us” and “them” when it comes to matters of the law, for “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” When we behave as the teachers and the Pharisees, we are deceiving ourselves, for we are no better than the people whom we denigrate.

When I was a senior in college, I took a seminar called “Racism and Darwin.” The material and discussions revolved around the biological reasons humankind has used in the past to justify racism. One observation that my Caucasian professor shared with us was that, it was not unusual for him to hear Caucasian colleagues speak condescendingly about other races when the company was homogenous. Although in mixed company, my professor would observe these same people speaking and behaving very graciously to people of other races.

We need to recognize that the ground is level at the foot of the cross—none of us are better than the other, although we would like to believe it is so. Jesus, however, knows the truth and tell the truth.

9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.

“The older ones first”—those men who have lived more of life and can recognize the truth. The older teachers and Pharisees would have been the most senior and the most respected members of the community, and even they are not without sin.

As each of the teachers and Pharisees walk away, they leave the woman, who thus far has been only an object in this drama. The scripture does not mention the observing crowd, but it is a pretty good assumption that they too, remain, waiting to see what will happen. For there has only been one person who could rightfully throw that first stone (let he who is without sin cast the first stone), and he was stooped down, writing on the ground.

10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
11 "No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

Jesus does not treat the woman like an object. She is a human being, created in the image of God. Jesus addresses her directly and allows her to have voice, to speak for herself. To her credit, she did not run off when the teachers and Pharisees melted away. She did not come up with a litany of excuses, and neither did she try to push some of the guilt on the missing male partner-in-crime. She stated the simple, truthful answer to Jesus question: “No one, sir.”

Jesus then pronounces her acquittal—he does not condemn her. Yet he also does not minimize her sin, nor does he cover it up. Instead, he shows her mercy by giving her the opportunity for a new beginning: to go and leave her life of sin. He does not say to modify her sin, lessen it, make it more manageable or to forget it. He tells her to GO now and LEAVE her life of sin. Recognize that it is wrong and leave it. Go and live a new path.

As we walk the journey of our faith, we will fail in many times and places. We will fail in big ways and we will fail in small ways. When I began this message, I talked about one particular type of failure—a sin of omission, if you will—which is not taking a stand in the places where the world and the devil are at the moment attacking.

The headline example of this is the issue of same sex marriages, but there are many other places where God’s word is being attacked. There is the idol of money and the security it claims to provide. There is the pursuit of success, defined by the world’s standards. There is the self-centered ethos that pervades our consumer culture. There is abject poverty. Children are abused. Entire ethnicities are targeted for annihilation. In countless ways, God’s word is undermined, ignored and violated every day of our lives. We can be the teachers and the Pharisees, pointing fingers at “them,” not recognizing that we too are complicit in the state of our society today. Or we can be the woman caught in adultery, recognizing our sin, overwhelmed with fear by what our wrongdoing will bring.

In either case, Jesus demonstrates grace. For both the teachers and Pharisees as well as the woman, Jesus offers us the truth and gives us a way to move forward.

Does this mean that I am now going to become the “caped crusader” for marriage between a man and woman in the state of California? Well, don’t look for me in the papers. J What this week—and this scripture—have taught me is that I need to walk as Jesus walked—with compassion, recognizing that no person or group is an object but that all are loved and created by God. At the same time, Jesus does not condone sin. Instead, he offers grace liberally, showing us that grace opens new doors for new opportunities.

This week, I encourage you to consider the ways in which you have failed, whether as a Pharisee or as the woman or perhaps in some other way. Meditate—think upon—this passage in John and ask Jesus what he has to say (or not to say) to you regarding your failures. For it is clear that Jesus is the one who has the authority to forgive us for our failures, and it is only from him that we may receive the blessing of grace to “go and sin no more.”