Grace and Law

The story of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11) never ceases to grab my attention. And even though we cannot be sure it was in the original manuscript, it most definitely gives us an indication of the character of Jesus.

And taking a closer look can uncover some interesting insights:

The scribes brought only the woman to see Jesus, when the Mosiac law they are referring too ( Deuteronomy 22.22) applies to both the perpetrators. So with the absence of the man, there are two things one could say about their intentions. Firstly, they had little to no regard for the humanity of the woman, and they were simply using her to set a trap for Jesus. He stood on the precipise of either negating the Law of Moses, or the Roman Law, in the mind of the scribes.

As with the story, faced with such an explosive situation, Jesus bent down to write in the sand, which incidentally was very common for teachers of that time. And while there is much conjecture about what he wrote, I would like to think that Jesus was also indignant towards the treatment of the woman, and the lack value for her very existence and being. And when he arose, he was to say the most levelling statement one could ever think of; 'Let he who is without sin cast the first stone'.

Gradually, those who had stood in Judgement of the woman, and sought to trap Jesus began to disperse, with their own sense of righteousness in tatters. And it's then that Jesus addresses the woman, and sends her away to 'leave her life of sin'.

Firstly, let me say what this story is not communicating, which is promoting a sense of moral autonomy. But neither is it advocating strict adherence to the law (or in the scribes case,the Torah) . Both of these extremes are missing the point. Jesus gave the woman an opportunity to 'live a different way' when he said sin no more. He offered an approach to life which was no longer inward looking (which I think is the definition of sin), but instead revolved around the kingdom, where Jesus was soon to die as an atoning death.

For me, this describes the mind blowing notion of forgiveness because of Grace, and it's what truly keeps me being a Christian.

Looking for something more

There are a number of things which come to mind at the beginning of this new year, and I have discussed them in other parts of this blog. However, if I'm honest I hope that this year is better than the last, and things won't be so hard. But perhaps to think like this is to miss the point, and to forget that there is something more to the Christian life, apart from our own circumstances.
Maybe this year is an opportunity to find faith, hope and love which transcends my own situation. And this may not change how difficult life is, but can give me a new perspective on it.
Faith gives me the opportunity navigate my way through the most uncertain of circumstances , with a confidence in God's purposes for me. Hope comes from the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, both in the 'here and now' and the future (See NT Wright- Surprised by Hope). And finally Love, which comes from God, and drives out all fear (1 John 4:18).