Sermon Recap-"Sand Scribbles"

I enjoy walking on the beach early in the morning or just before sunset. There are plenty of things to notice: sand, shells, shark teeth, people, swimsuit styles, lifeguards, hotels, waves, seagulls, and scribbles in the sand.

I always stand and read the scribbles in the sand. They are usually words of undying love, usually written by a drunk teenager on Senior week. I often wonder, when I read the three foot letters spelling out "I LOVE NICOLE", just who is this Nicole and why does this dude love her so much. I have never been inclined to scribble in the sand this way--guess this Nicole must be some woman, or this man must be some man.

These sand scribbles are powerful statements of emotion and love. In just a few hours, the tides wash them away--one wave at a time.

Our text this morning deals with some scribbles in the sand. Let's see how they differ from the Atlantic Ocean Coastal love declarations.

John 8
A Woman Caught in Adultery

Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

I attended a worship service this week with around 100 teenagers jumping and dancing and singing praise and worship music that I do not know. I am an ancient mind when it comes to worship and have a hard time reading the screen while people are jumping up and down in front of it. I like singing but fear not being on key--when I don't know the song, I kinda whisper the words so that the youngsters do not stare at me. But, it was still a service of worship and I have to realize that I do not have the market cornered in ways to worship God. My friend, Peter used this text. I really liked it. So, I am using it this week. Notice, I did not say that I stole his sermon, but I did poach his text.

The text is familiar to most, and it contains an oft used phrase "cast the first stone." This text is powerful and still resonates deep, penetrating truth to us.

The scene has a woman that has been placed at the feet of Jesus. She has been caught in the very act of adultery. Now, you folks seem to be a super sharp group. My question for you is: "How is it that only one person was caught in the act of adultery?" If you figure this one out, please let me know.

This single person being caught in the act--exposes the schemes of the teachers of the law. The attempt was to trap Jesus. He was not caught "between the devil and the deep blue sea," but he was caught "between the law and the Pharisees" and that may be worse.

Here is the trap. The Mosaic Law states that if a virgin who is betrothed to man is caught in adultery, then she and the man should be stoned. If Jesus executed the death sentence and she was not a virgin, or unbetrothed, then he broke the Law too. Oh, and the man was not present either. So, taking a legalistic stance has consequences, even for Jesus. Hmmm, makes us wonder, huh? So, there are several chances for Jesus to break the Law.

Now, let's say that he acts as if the Law is not a big deal, a Liberal in relation to the crowd. Then they would turn on him as one who does not hold the Law in high regard.

Does not look good for Jesus. If this were a Batman episode, this would be the time where the show would end, and we would be held captive until the next show.

"Will Jesus have the woman executed and break the Law?"

"Will he free her and ignore the Law?"

Stay tuned for the answer to these and other important questions --Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel.

But the story goes on and Jesus does something even more dramatic than the T.V. could ever portray.

As we are back in the scene, perhaps the woman is naked or semi-clothed. She had been caught in the "very act" and drug out into the crowd, in front of Jesus. Can you imagine the depth of her embarrassment and fear. Jesus is asked to impose the death sentence and her life hangs in the balance of the words that will come from his mouth.

She waited, they waited, and Jesus bent down and scribbled in the sand.

What?!?!?

Scholars have debated what this was all about. This is the only recorded occurrence of Jesus writing anything. What did he write? Did he write anything at all?

Some say that he wrote the name of the man that was involved with her . Doubtful, because then he would have been pulled out of the crowd and there would be no tension left in the story.

Peter Copeland jokingly said that maybe he was playing tic-tac-toe. That could not be because there are theological landmines there like: If he was playing himself and won then part of him would lose and Jesus is perfect. So that could not be. Perhaps it is a tie game--and then he is a half winner and half loser. See--I am a bit weird.

What is this scribbling about? Every eye in the room was focused on the finger of Jesus. When they were watching him scribble, what were they unable to do? They were no longer looking at the woman and her sin. Instead, they were focused on the finger of the Savior.

He then stands and says in my paraphrase, "She should die because of her sin, I agree. The one who has never broken the Law that you all hold so dear--you can chunk first."

Then he knelt again and scribbled some more.

The older men understood first and left the scene. The younger ones took longer, but they too realized that no blood would be shed that day.

The Woman is looking at the only One who could chunk a stone at her. He chose to scribble instead. The crowd wanted blood, and Christ gave His own months later to redeem sinners.

She looked into his eyes, and saw compassion. She was naked and he covered her with his righteousness. She had blown it, and he told her to try again.

"Go and Sin no more."

No tide can do anything to erase the scribble of Christ in the sand. He said to her and says to us,

"Your screw ups should not be where your focus lies. It is all about me. I took those, so that you would be free. Free from being condemned, and free from condemning. Go--and try again. When you fail, which you will, I will love you still."