I’ve often tried to imagine how the woman who was caught in adultery felt in the Bible.
I could envision a partially dressed woman being paraded around in disgrace throughout the streets of Jerusalem.
Surprise and horror as her secret was exposed for all to see. The terror surging through her veins as her blood quickly pumped adrenaline throughout her body.
Her mind trying to comprehend what she did, what just happened. The unbelievable becoming a reality as she was pushed and beaten by the religious leaders.
She was guilty and now she would pay the price. A public stoning as the Jewish Law demanded.
The justification of breaking the law needed to be played out to discourage anyone else from falling into sin. Death was the result of sinning and there was no other way out.
She could could hear the crowds gathering for her public execution, but something unexpected was about to happen. Love was about to knock the stones out of the hands of her accusers.
Jesus was there.
He was not there to condemn or judge her. He knew that she was guilty, but so was everyone else who held a stone in their hand. Each person there had a secret sin too. Jesus revealed that. He knew their indiscretions and that made it impossible to throw a stone. He called them out and they knew they were guilty.
Just because we haven’t been called out publicly doesn’t make us less guilty than someone blatantly committing a sin for all to see.
Jesus knew the law, in fact the law was written in His heart. However, the law Jesus followed was quite different than man’s.
He was about to rule from a place much higher than rules of this world. It was His grace that saved the woman. His mercy was extended to a broken and battered daughter. It’s His grace and mercy that saves us.
Somewhere along my walk into religion I started picking up the stones of accusations and some how began throwing rocks at people.
Before I knew God, the life I was living was filled with bad choices, so how could I point a finger at anyone else’s problem. I had my own stuff to deal with and that was more than enough.
It was only after finding Jesus that I believe I was starting to change. I got white washed in religious ideas that said I needed tell people all their faults. My belief was that I was helping them to see their sin sooner and that was going to expedite their transformation.
I was taught it was the churches job to do it and I now belonged to the church. The church had to tell the world how terrible they are acting. My job now was to be this bearer of this bad news. How else would they get saved?
Truth is I really don’t like conflict. I try to avoid it at all costs. Telling someone that their life is not pleasing to God always felt uncomfortable. To me, that’s not the good news I was hoping to share.
I began to reread the story about the woman caught in adultery. Jesus didn’t condemn, correct, judge or reprimand her. He quietly wrote in the dirt. No one really knows what He wrote, but whatever it was canceled a death sentence.
Jesus had a heart of reconciliation. The Father sent Him to show man a better way of living and it was through love. He was leading people out of sin by showing mercy, compassion and forgiveness. The extended hand from heaven redeeming a broken and hurting world.
God loves to show me just how alive His word the scripture is today as it was when it was written. He began to show me the identity of this brutalized woman, it’s us, “The Bride”. The beautiful Bride of Christ caught in deception. She is looking for love in all the wrong places. She is lost and feeling unworthy. The religious zealots are stoning her at each wrong turn she makes. Quickly they condemn her and ridicule her publicly. Their stones destroying the true vision of how God sees her.
How will she ever become who God intended her to be pristine, beautiful and flawless?
Jesus is preparing her gown and Holy Spirit is preparing her heart. Together they are working behind the scenes to make her ready for her grand entrance. Her dress is made of redemption. Her veil is a covering of Grace. She is carrying a bouquet that is an intoxicating fragrance of mercy. The shoes she wears are laced in peace and ring given to her is the promise of His love!
When I got this revelation I was floored! I needed to become a part of the great wedding party, because I am a part of the bride.
I had it all wrong, people already know that they are making bad decisions and I don’t need to rub it in their faces. My job was to bring “The Good News” that there is a better way to live.
My job is showing the Bride just how truly beautiful she is. Her Groom is madly, deeply and passionately in love with her. I need to tell her that, so she can walk confidently down the aisle and be received by her Groom.
That’s when I started to change my Christian walk. I decided as a representative of Jesus I wanted to be just like Him. I would love fiercely. I would be moved with compassion. I would only do what I saw My Father do. My mission was being His “Love Child”.
I would let The Holy Spirit handle changing people. That His job. In scripture it says, “As you yield freely and fully to the dynamic life and power of the Holy Spirit, you will abandon the cravings of your self-life.” Galatians 5:16 TPT
God had it taken care of it all. He sent Jesus to love and His Spirit to guide. He only needed me to share this revelation.
One day in prayer I asked God for His heart for all His children. After this, a great transformation occurred.
All those stones I had carried just dropped from my hands. I started to minister in such a different way because I was no longer a Servant, but a Daughter. My mission was simply to be the flower girl. I would simply walk down the aisle preparing the way for the Bride.