Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Jesus In Between

I wrote this on a card some time ago, and in cleaning, I came across it:

"I have been judged by the word and driven to my knees for mercy. 
Grace poured forth from my Savior's bloody hands and 
He lifted my head to Him and drew me to my feet."

So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ, 
that we might be justified by faith. Galatians 3:24

Recently I was meditating on the story of the Woman caught in adultery who was brought before Jesus to be stoned. Stoning was God's idea~to remove impurities from among Israel. Jesus then stooped down and started writing in the sand. 

I like to picture Jesus in those moments of confrontation that he experienced so often with the Pharisees. He remained so calm. 

I want to know that composure in the face of conflict.

So after writing in the sand, Jesus said, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." 
As we know, one by one, everyone left. The guilty woman was left alone with Jesus. No doubt she was a huge mix of emotions. 

After having been caught in the act. Imagine it for a moment. Then to be drug away by angry, self~righteous men, perhaps she wasn't even half~dressed... then tossed to the dirt before the HOLY ONE. Her shame must have threatened to overwhelm her...perhaps she was close to passing out... 

I am a huge fan of Michael Card. I love his song "Scribbling in the Sand" because though we don't know what Jesus was scribbling, it makes perfect sense that he would hold up the mirror of the law for the "stoners" to look into, and thus destroy any self-righteousness they had. It also would have helped the woman see, and know that the law that was about to condemn her was just, but...

Jesus was "between her and the law". Our intercessor, Mercy Personified, was there. Offering her pardon, which must have been another unbelievable moment. Who just moment's before was on the verge of death and condemnation, now was able to walk away free. 


With Jesus' parting words to, "Go and leave your life of sin." 

I think those words remained with her for the rest of her life. When I am vulnerable, and my emotional level is at a 10, it seems I remember everything said to me. Words sting when they are not meant to, and they can sink in deeper due to my emotional vulnerability.

Have you noticed that? When you are exposed. When you are tried in a firey furnace, you process things through your pain. You are more tender. More impressionable. 


In the case of the woman caught in adultery, and in the case of me everytime I see in the mirror of God's word where I am missing the mark of pleasing Him...It is clear that:

The Law is good. Repentence is a gift. Mercy is sweet.
All are steps on the path to freedom.

Oh how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. Psalm 119:97

My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times. Psalm 119:20

3 comments:

Unknown said...

OMG Kathy..what a great post..
I have been in a simular place as her,and I do remember alllllll the hateful things that was said, but people who thought they beared NO sin, ever...lol.. and felt judged for what seem to be a life time.. but then God turned my ashes to beauty,, my scares to testimony..and now I can speak to woman, wives, mothers , sister, who let SATAN use other people to make us continue to feel shame and guilt to keep us quiet and ashamed.. but I tell them NO.. because we have lived through hard times.. we are now gifted to help other people get through it and come out VICTORIOUS on the other side and give the PRAISE to our saving grace JESUS..
thankyou my friend for a wonderful post..
loveya.. have a great weekend to come.

Toyin O. said...

Praise God for the mercy we find in Jesus; it is so true that it makes us more merciful:)

elaine @ peace for the journey said...

Standing between our sin and our punishment... now that will preach--a visual I can latch onto.

Beautiful thought, Kathy. Beautiful grace!

peace~elaine

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