Do You See the Woman?

Text: John 8:1-11

Focus: Freedom from bondage.

Function: Preaching the gospel by focusing on the needs of the person instead of their sinfulness.

Form: Story telling.

Intro:

I promised the Board that I would do three sermons on the essentials of a Church that must exist in order for the church to grow faithfully in God's kingdom.

The second Sunday of the month, we looked an essential that is necessary to expect God's blessing, Caring for the poor.

And you are doing that well.

The next Sunday, we looked at faith in the story of David and Goliath.

And today, we are looking at evangelism.

This is a story about mercy and the importance of relationship in evangelism.

So, if you will, let us concentrate on the story and see some things as it unfolds.

(The story, bringing the woman to Jesus and the writing in the sand.)

• The woman on the ground in terror. She is caught in the act but the man is not accused.
• The Pharisees are in an half circle, facing Jesus and pointing back at the woman.
• Jesus is near the ground as well doodling.
• I imagine frustration on their part as He continues to write in the sand.

With evil intentions -no actual regard for the law, with no actual regard for the connection between sexuality and spirituality, their goal is just a means of entrapment.

Jesus writes in the sand.

• A lot of conjecture.
• What did He write?
• Intentionally, it is left a mystery.
• Was He ignoring them by doodling in the sand in order to demonstrate the hypocrisy?
• Was He exposing their pettiness?
• Or was He writing their own sins in the sand?

But a miracle happens: Jesus softens their hearts apparently by the power of the Holy Spirit.

• He asks them to consider themselves.
• Many times, He asks people to consider themselves and people hardened their hearts against Him.
• But this time it works.
• Salvation is personal.
• And it begins with each of us.

You cannot spiritually discern the actions of another without discerning your own actions.

ALLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT TO MOVE INSIDE OF YOU.

Now to the title of the sermon. Do you see the woman?

Are we looking at people, or are we looking at their actions?

Jesus focuses on the woman, the person. They focus on the act.

(Tell the story)

• They are looking at Jesus and what He will do.
• The woman is of no real consequence to them.
• This half circle, with the woman over their shoulders pictures where they are in relationship to her.
• She is an afterthought.
• They have their traditions to uphold. They have to take a stand for the right thing. They have something to prove.
• Remember, this group of people condemned Jesus because He was indeed, a friend of sinners.
• The same thing happened at Simon the Pharisee's house when a prostitute kissed Jesus' feet.
• Simon didn't see the woman, he merely criticized the Savior for His mercy.
• So, consider again the woman.
• What drove her to her brokenness?
• Is she merely a piece of property in her husband's eyes?
• Is she a victim of childhood trauma and is looking for love in the wrong place?
• Is she merely a cold-hearted person who has no care for her marriage vows?
• She must have been a regular, because the Pharisee's could count on her to be doing this act.
• Is she completely godless, or does she feel she is in a desperate place and this is the only way she thinks she can find meaning in her life?
• Do the Pharisee's care about what she needs?
• What is she feeling as her life is being debated by this group of men?
• Does she even know about Jesus' mercy?
  • Could she know that He was a prophet and is now afraid that she is really going to get it?
  • Or, does she know that Jesus would rather hang out with people like her than people like them?
• I perceive that after a period of time, the doodling gets obnoxious, and the Pharisees grow weary, angry and frustrated with Jesus.
• I picture Jesus finally standing up with the question that changes their hearts.
• You know, from the oldest to the youngest, they drop their stones and walk away.
• I picture the woman growing more and more hopeful every time a stone hits the pavement instead of her.
• And finally, they are gone and Jesus, Imagine Him now having an unobstructed view of the woman looking again at her with His piercing eyes.
• I picture Jesus focused on her the whole time.
• And I find it incredibly merciful that He gave the Pharisees what they needed to repent instead of criticism.
• And Jesus says: “neither do I condemn you.”
• We believe that at the sound of Jesus mercy, she repents.
• Jesus indicates the same by giving her instruction about living a more pure life.
• Final words: “Go and sin no more.”
• And the story ends.

Jesus saw the woman's sin as her brokenness that He could heal instead of condemning her actions.

Actually, He was focused on the needs of every person in this situation.

• He is not as concerned with the acts of sin, He is more concerned with the bondage that all these people were in because of sin.
• We get offended by the acts of sin -most often, the sins of others.
  • But why should we?
  • Without Christ, people act out of their sin nature.
• Jesus' remedy to that action was the most important statement to the Pharisees which lead to this conclusion in their minds: “look at your own sins instead of worrying about hers.”
• To the woman He said: “Neither do I condemn you.”
• Jesus knew that all the woman needed was mercy to be set free.
• 1 Peter 4:8: “Love covers a multitude of sins.”
  • Despite the fact that this woman was being used as a trap to get to Jesus.
  • Despite the fact that this woman committed a sin that was punishable by death according to Jewish law.
  • Despite all that: Jesus' focus is on the woman and her needs.
  • He sees her as a person, not a sinner.
  • She is a person who is so caught up in the moments of her life that she ignores her wedding vows.
  • Perhaps a person who is craving for love, or a feeling, or a moment of control. Maybe she is in a desperate marriage without any resources to protect her.
  • We don't know.
  • But whatever it is she is craving, Jesus gives it to her in an holistic way.
  • Her craving is not going to be fulfilled in the moments of what she hopes is pleasure.
  • It is fulfilled in a loving relationship with God.
  • God who respects her as both a person, and as a woman.
  • He doesn't see the sinner.
  • He sees the person and He loves her.

What are we looking at when see others?

This is the gospel.

This is the power of the good news.

It is spelled out in 2 Corinthians 5: “God was in the world in Christ Jesus, bringing the world back to Himself, not counting their sins against them. And God has given to us this same ministry, this ministry of reconciliation.

This is how the Church grows. By mercy, God's people come back to God.

And this is the nature of evangelism. Evangelism is not doing what the Pharisees were doing. They were “taking a stand” against sin. Cursing the darkness is not shining a light.

Evangelism happens when we develop a non-judgmental and loving relationship with a person.

CONCL: