Missionary Renegade: The Daily Guide. grow. pray. study. The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, United States for Thursday, 16 June 2016

Thursday, June 16, 2016

The Daily Guide. grow. pray. study. The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, United States for Thursday, 16 June 2016 - “Is there no one to condemn you?”

The Daily Guide. grow. pray. study. The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, United States for Thursday, 16 June 2016 - “Is there no one to condemn you?”
Daily Scripture: John 8:2 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?”
Reflection Questions:
Jesus moved an unnamed woman from disgrace and despair to redemption and the hope of a new life. Jesus' enemies cited Scripture almost accurately—Leviticus 20:10 did name death as the penalty for adultery, but for both the woman and the man. This was life-and-death—the accusers were clamoring to stone the woman to death, right there and then. John didn’t say what Jesus wrote on the ground, but it shamed the condemning Pharisees. His poignant question after they left showed the woman that HE had no wish to condemn her.

A question doesn’t always sound like a question at first glance. In what ways was Jesus' penetrating statement in verse 7 really a question (“Are you morally worthy to throw those stones?”) that challenged the woman’s accusers’ judgmental spirit? How did his statement speak to the widespread inner human inclination to criticize and condemn others?
In what ways do guilt and shame haunt your life? Imagine yourself huddled on the ground, mentally and spiritually in the place where the woman in this story was. Who are the accusers standing around you (maybe including yourself)? Now hear Jesus asking you, “Is there no one to condemn you?” How can his question, and the divine grace behind it, move your life in the direction of greater freedom, peace and joy?

Today’s Prayer:
Lord Jesus, condemnation, from inside myself or outside, makes life a misery. Thank you for bringing the model of God’s compassion and forgiveness into our world, to free me (and all of us) from the terrible burden of condemnation. Amen.Insights from Janelle Gregory

Janelle Gregory serves on the Resurrection staff as a Human Resources Specialist.
A few months ago I was buying a coffee at a convenience store. It was a little over a dollar so I figured I’d pay cash. I reached into my wallet, pulled out a bill, and handed it to the clerk. He then looked at me with a puzzled face and said, “I’m sorry. We don’t take this. Do you have American money?”
I was so embarrassed. I must have looked like an idiot. I had just come back from Brazil, and the only cash I had on me was Brazilian, which obviously did me no good. Apparently there are many conveniences to a convenience store, but taking the wrong currency is not one of them.
Christians use the wrong currency, too. Not literally (unless you’re trying to pay for your coffee with Brazilian currency), but certainly when it comes to issues of forgiveness. The currency of forgiveness we tend to use is only accepted in particular situations. It has rules set up by society, how we’re raised, media, and other influences. We use it to forgive most minor sins. Generally it will cover the skeletons in our own closets, but where it often stops working is when it comes to the sins that aren’t in our repertoire.
As followers of Christ, we have to recognize that this is the wrong currency. It may work for our culture, but it is not accepted in the kingdom of God. The Christ-like currency is far more reaching. It has no limits on people, motives, or wrong-doings. It covers everything from white lies to horrific acts.
In no way is it a sloppy grace, accepting wrong-doings and just looking the other way. It’s a passionate care and concern, extending hope, love, restoration, and light in the darkest of places. This is the forgiveness currency accepted in the kingdom of God. Thankfully our own limited currency of forgiveness isn’t accepted here