The God I Know

The other day, I came across a passage in the Bible that I have read many times before. But this time I wept. 

"Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
John 8:1-11

I wept because that is the God I know. The God who offered grace, mercy, and forgiveness to this "sinful' woman who had just had a near death experience tainted with public humiliation, a woman who was an outcast and not socially acceptable. Probably scared out of her wits and head bowed in shame at coming face to face with Jesus. Instead of punishing her or criticizing her life choices, he KNELT before her. The King of Kings, the Son of God bent down before her and said, "I am not here to condemn you. I came to give you a new life, today." He didn't point fingers. He didn't make her feel guiltier. He gave her hope and restored her with this love. 

Bill Hybels put it this way, " ..is there a better picture of God's heart than this-the heart that invites someone to freedom instead of indictment? Without excusing the woman's sinful indiscretions, Jesus said, "Everyone has taken some wrong turns. Everyone is in need of forgiveness and redemption and healing. Everyone needs to know the love that only my father can provide. That is why I have come!"

Have we forgotten this God? Do we not remember that our Messiah came for healing, redemption, and hope for all? He came for EVERYONE, even the ones that make us uncomfortable. He hung out with prostitutes and tax collectors. I wept when I read this passage because one day, not long ago, I felt like this woman. I was her. And Jesus did the same thing. He covered my shame and guilt with His blood. His offered love instead judgment. He invited me to start a new life with hope and a future. That is the God I know.

Back to School...Not Just New Clothes

      Back to school time means new clothes, school supplies, (oh how I love sharpened pencils and the smell of fresh crayons), new friends and teachers. It can be exciting....but what if we took the newness a little bit deeper? How about we start this year with a fresh perspective? How about taking a look through God's filter and not our own? How about when that kid in class who ruins it for everyone else is acting out again..maybe no one has loved him right and we might try to be his friend instead of talking about him in the lunchroom. Or that co-worker who bugs you? Maybe her marriage is on the rocks and by the time she comes to work she is a hot mess snapping at the littlest things. How about you find ways to serve her no matter the response. Or that boss who micromanages your every move or doesn't respect you? Maybe he has never heard the good news, he is lost and has no hope. How about we pray for him instead of dwell on all his negatives. Or the guy on the corner smoking? Yes, cigarettes are gross but maybe he just got over a 15 year heroin addiction and this helps the cravings. 
     The point is we don't know the whole story. We haven't walked in everyone's shoes. We don't know what they are dealing with or if they are just hanging on by a string. Let's commit to taking a "new look" at people, a fresh perspective. Maybe God's outlook. It is so easy to get angry, defensive, pass judgment, or put down. It is much harder to choose love. Love that surpasses all understanding not because that person deserves it but because the God you serve gave you the ultimate example..on the cross. 

 ^"When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Matthew 9:11-13