Brilliance at Work

(Raw journal entry of 6/30/13) It must have been frustrating to the Jewish leaders to have created a very emotion-packed event as bringing an adulteress before Jesus and suggesting a stoning (hanging) was about the take place. Reminds me of the old west with the rope over the tree limb and the noose around the thief's neck. The scene is highly charged and ready to blow and Jesus says nothing, stoops down and writes on the ground while the leaders continue to question Him. Foolishness met Wisdom. Frenzy met Calm. Hypocrisy met Truth. Trickery met Transparency. Sin met Righteousness. Condemnation met Forgiveness. In that moment we get a significant look at how God deals with us-the world-the dysfunction we exhibit. God is slow to anger and reasonable. He takes His time and acts from character and truth and love. He is not pressed or hurried or put on the spot as if He were required to meet some human requirement. He responds; He does not react. He is not fooled by the plots and schemes of others. He sizes up the situation and answers in ways that serve everyone's best interest-crowds, accusers, the woman, and His disciples-even us, In that precise moment with less than two dozen words Jesus disarmed His enemies and them into retreat. He defused the bomb that could have exploded. Much was at stake. Jesus knew the dilemma that they had tried to put Him in.

Consider the two horns. If Jesus sides with mercy, then He treats the Law as unimportant and He is discredited as one who does not uphold God's Law. He could be rightfully condemned as a Law-breaker and a sinner and disqualified from being Messiah. But, if He participated in this woman's death, He would have a hard time trying to convince us that He loved sinners and wanted to save them. He said He came to save and not destroy and condemn. His ministry of grace toward convicted sinners would have been destroyed. He was in a "fix" as we say in the South. But was He? Jesus always sees another way, the way of escape from the horns of the dilemma. The Law says every matter must be established  by 2-3 witnesses. No witnesses, no conviction, and no sentence. So these witnesses when confronted with self-incrimination recanted their testimony and walked away. They were not willing to come under the same scrutiny as the woman. They knew they were on the verge of being caught themselves. By pressing the case against this woman they would have been declaring their own sinlessness and lack of mercy. Jesus was stripping away their self-righteousness and exposing them for what they were. By walking away there were no witnesses to condemn the woman and the case had to be dropped and she was free, no accusers, no charges, and no stoning.