The Gospel of John

John 8:1-11, an Alternative View

Ray called me on Friday and asked if I wanted to lead the next study. Why me? Because Jesus, Ray said, stooped down and wrote in the sand. When he read sand he thought of me. Note that there's no hint of his respect for my holiness or anything else. When you have a sand sculptor available for Bible interpretation, give him the verses that involve sand... even if sand really has nothing to do with the story.

I think it's just his way of making sure I show up. A bribe, if you will. I told him I'd do it. Didn't mention anything about seeing through his story. Basic homiletics: find a link to someone, and use it.

Truth to tell, I have been avoiding this study. For various reasons, the closest of which is that I understand just how weird my approach to God is. I refuse to have anything to do with ritual and standardized Christian behavior. I neither want to persuade others that my way is the only way, nor to jump onto some holy bandwagon. I have one chance at life and that's by holding tightly to Jesus' hand, and I know the effects of getting involved in works and such, and being the by-nature avoider of conflict that I am, I just stay out.

And yet, when called to the hilltop, there's no point in hiding what little light I have. So, here it is.

Start with your first bit of homework. Read Real Live Preacher's dramatization of this story: "Where Is the Man?"

And the second bit of homework is to think about why Jesus so often used prostitutes for examples. The standard answer is that Jesus is showing that he welcomes even the bottom-feeders into his new world. Could there be more to it than that? Could it be that prostitution exemplifies the typical Christian's relationship with God?

God wants us as lovers. We, the followers of Jesus, are described as the Bride of Christ. Well, what do brides do? They get torridly in love with the bridegroom. Read "Song of Songs" if you don't believe me. And yet, we turn to all kinds of other things: busyness, activity, music, movies. Have you ever noticed that the last thing followers of Jesus talk about when they get together is God? If they do discuss God, it's in working terms and about all the burdens that have been placed on them. Might there be more to this whole thing than we believe?

I use all kinds of things to distract myself from God. Even Blog writing. Anything is better than looking at his ferocious, hot, utterly unpredictable love and where it might lead. God is wild. And yet he is utterly predictable: he wants the best for us. This is such a strange thought that I find it very hard to believe, but the proof is in the cross.

"Go your way and sin no more." A new life. Meaningless until I realize that I've also been given the resources to live God's way.

posted by Larry @ 10:19 AM