____________________________
Text to Read: John 8:1 But Yeshua went to the Mount of Olives. 2 At daybreak, he appeared again in the Temple Court, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The Torah-teachers and the P’rushim brought in a woman who had been caught committing adultery and made her stand in the center of the group. 4 Then they said to him, “Rabbi, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 5 Now in our Torah, Moshe commanded that such a woman be stoned to death. What do you say about it?” 6 They said this to trap him, so that they might have ground for bringing charges against him; but Yeshua bent down and began writing in the dust with his finger. 7 When they kept questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “The one of you who is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Then he bent down and wrote in the dust again. 9 On hearing this, they began to leave, one by one, the older ones first, until he was left alone, with the woman still there. 10 Standing up, Yeshua said to her, “Where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, sir.” Yeshua said, “Neither do I condemn you. Now go, and don’t sin any more.”
____________________________
John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for John 8:1-11
Verse 6
[6] This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
That they might have to accuse him — Either of usurping the office of a judge, if he condemned her, or of being an enemy to the law, if he acquitted her.
Jesus stooping down, wrote with his finger on the ground — God wrote once in the Old Testament; Christ once in the New: perhaps the words which he afterward spoke, when they continued asking him. By this silent action, he, 1, fixed their wandering, hurrying thoughts, in order to awaken their consciences: and, 2, signified that he was not then come to condemn but to save the world.
Verse 7
[7] So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
He that is without sin — He that is not guilty: his own conscience being the judge) either of the same sin, or of some nearly resembling it; let him - as a witness, cast the first stone at her.
Verse 9
[9] And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
Beginning at the eldest — Or the elders.
Jesus was left alone — By all those scribes and Pharisees who proposed the question. But many others remained, to whom our Lord directed his discourse presently after.
Verse 10
[10] When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
Hath no man condemned thee? — Hath no judicial sentence been passed upon thee?
Verse 11
[11] She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
Neither do I condemn thee — Neither do I take upon me to pass any such sentence. Let this deliverance lead thee to repentance.
____________________________Daily Devotions:
Monday, August 10, 2015
Text to read: John 8:1-11
- Have you ever been caught in the act of doing something you knew you should not — did you feel regret, sorry, perhaps defiance?
Text to read: John 8:1-11
- Have you ever been caught in the act of doing something you knew you should not — did you feel regret, sorry, perhaps defiance?
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Text to read: John 8:1-11
- One question often asked of this scripture; why was the adulterous woman put on trial alone?
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Text to read: John 8:1-11
- Who do we, as a society, put people on trial today? Do we still throw stones, metaphorically?
Thursday, August 13, 2015
Text to read: John 8:1-11
- Like ancient Roman judges who wrote their sentence before the announcement, Jesus bent to the ground and wrote something in the sand.
- What do you imagine he wrote?
Friday, August 14, 2015
Text to read: John 8:1-11
- In what aspect of your life do you need to receive forgiveness or give forgiveness to someone else?
Saturday, August 15, 2015
Text to read: John 8:1-11
- Jesus said, “Go… and from now on do not sin again.”
- Is there anything in your life you need to let go of and leave in the past?
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Text to read: John 8:1-11
- Today, pray for women and children held captive in slavery to the sex trafficking industry.
The First United Methodist Church
2111 Camino del Rio South
San Diego, California 92108 United States
____________________________
Sermon Story "Forgiveness" by Gary Lee Parker for Sunday, 16 August 2015 with Scripture Text: John 8:1 But Yeshua went to the Mount of Olives. 2 At daybreak, he appeared again in the Temple Court, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The Torah-teachers and the P’rushim brought in a woman who had been caught committing adultery and made her stand in the center of the group. 4 Then they said to him, “Rabbi, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 5 Now in our Torah, Moshe commanded that such a woman be stoned to death. What do you say about it?” 6 They said this to trap him, so that they might have ground for bringing charges against him; but Yeshua bent down and began writing in the dust with his finger. 7 When they kept questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “The one of you who is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Then he bent down and wrote in the dust again. 9 On hearing this, they began to leave, one by one, the older ones first, until he was left alone, with the woman still there. 10 Standing up, Yeshua said to her, “Where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, sir.” Yeshua said, “Neither do I condemn you. Now go, and don’t sin any more.”
We look at this passage of Scripture and realize that the people who brought the woman found committing the act of adultery wanted justice as they read the Torah, but where was the man who was commiting this act with her. Jesus somehow knew that these men were using this woman to trick Jesus into committing an offense against them and the Torah that they could use to bring him on trial for blasphemy. Yet, Jesus calmly knelt down on the ground and began writing something on the ground waiting for the opportunity to ask them a questin that He was asking His Father to give to HIm. The men spoke again and Jesus looke up at them with this question or statement that the one who is without sin cast the first stone. We do not know wha Jesus was ariting in the sand or how He may have caught their eye with His eye into their whole being, but we do know that they bagan to drop their stones on the ground and leave one at a time from the oldest first to the yongest. Then, Jesus went back to looking at the ground and continually writing in the sand. Soon or after all the men left, Jesus stood up and looked the women in the eye and asked her who is here to condemn you. She may have looked around and found no one and simply said that no one sir. Jesus looke at her in the eye and said simply that He does not condemn her either and she should go and sin no more to live her life as God calls all of us to live in Holy Purity. From this passage, I am renided how soee people have treated the people who are differently abled, even in the church, treating them as sinners who do not deserve God's saving grace because they are not fully human because they have a disability. Lord, Have mercy on us. As we begin to revie His church and His holiness in our lives, we seek to look at people who are differently abled as people who are fully human and made in God's Image as they are to use the gifts and graces God has given them to build His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven whether the are lay people or clergy called people. Lord, we come and ask ourselves in what characters to we relate or not relate to? How do we view people who are different from us in abilities or skin color or culture or socio-econimic status? We ask God to forgiven our sins and guide us not to sin again. We come to receive His Grace and Mercy as we take His Body and eat it the take His Blood and drink in our participation of the Holy Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. We come to receive from God His Mercy, Forgiveness and Grace singing the Hymn "Go And Sin No More" by Rebecca St. James
I've sinned, come on my knees
For I'm not worthy of Your love
How could You die for me
Such grace could only come from God
Oh Lord,You search and You know me
You see me inside out
God, You alone can forgive me
Erase my fear and my doubt
Father, You pick me up
I feel like a child in Your arms
I don't deserve this love but
I hear Your voice, Lord Jesus
Go and sin no more
He said, "I will not condemn you
I'll forgive and I'll forget it all
Go and sin no more
"My child let me remind you it is I
Who'll lead and guide you as you go"
You are my purpose
You are the reason that I live
I want to be like You
Help me to love and to forgive
God, let me not be distracted
Lord, help me focus on You
Keep sin from ruling my life
Lord, make me holy and pure
Father, You pick me up
I feel like a child in Your arms
I don't deserve this love but
I hear Your voice, Lord Jesus
Wipe, wipe away
Take, take away
Break, break away
Fill my life, make it right
Father, help me
Father help me go
He said, "I will not condemn you, no"
Go and sin no more
"My child let me remind you it is I
Who'll lead and guide you as you go"
I've sinned, come on my knees
How could You die for me
You search my heart
Know my thoughts
See me inside out
And all throughout me
You alone can forgive me
You always pick me up
Like a child in Your arms
I could stay with You forever here
____________________________
Gary Lee Parker
4147 Idaho Street, Apt. 1
San Diego, California 92104-1844 United States
____________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment