To Understand

Jesus is quite clear. Loving your neighbor is a priority of life, second only to loving God. But if you're going to love your neighbor you'll need to understand him. You'll need to understand what motivates him and what he is aiming for as he makes his choices. You'll need to understand something of what is going on inside of him. Without some measure of understanding it will be hard to love well. But, of course, the question is, 'How do you do that?' The Gospels are filled with Jesus' interactions with people. And in them all He understood the people He was talking to. And that made it possible for Him to love them. Our text has one of those interactions. So, we're going to look at this incident to watch Jesus in action and to learn from Him. The goal is to grow in our understanding of people so that we might love. Our text is John 8.1-11.

Let's first lay out what happened. It's not complicated. Jesus begins His day of teaching the people. And, probably with a bit of commotion, some scribes and Pharisees make their way through the crowd. They have someone with them, a woman, whom they place before Jesus. And out comes their story. They caught this woman having sex with someone who is not her husband. They remind Jesus about what God's Law has to say about such things. The woman needs to be executed. Moses says so. Then comes the zing. 'So what do you say?' In response, Jesus says … nothing. He bends down and starts writing in the dirt. The scribes and Pharisees persist, wanting Jesus to answer their question. So, Jesus stands up and speaks. And all He says is one sentence. 'Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.' Then He goes back to scribbling in the dirt. And, what do you know, one by one, the woman's accusers melt away. Jesus looks up, sees the woman all alone and has a brief conversation with her. He then sends her on her way with a command. '… go, and from now on sin no more.'

So, there's the situation. It probably took maybe three, four minutes? But so much happened in those few minutes. There are lessons here for you.

Remember what we are looking for. We want to understand people. What the people in our text said and did is obvious. Anyone standing there would know. But the interesting part has to do with what cannot be seen. The interesting part has to do with what was going on inside of them. And Jesus had a handle on those dynamics. As a result, He could act in a way that was loving.

So, let's take a look at those scribes and Pharisees. What's going on with them? On the outside, it just looks like they are interested in how Jesus would interpret a bit of the Law of Moses. I'm sure they had lots of those kinds of discussions among themselves quite often. What's so different about this time? John tells us. 'This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him.' Now, I'm guessing that even without John's comment, you could have figured that out on your own. And that's not because these men have a bad reputation in the Gospels. You can sense that something's up just by how they act. You can feel it. They weren't there to have a thoughtful theological conversation with Jesus. An example of that sort of thing would be when another Pharisee, Nicodemus, came to Jesus. He came to have a conversation, and he got a conversation, though it went a bit deeper than he expected. The goal of these accusers was not a friendly exchange of ideas. They came to trap Jesus.

What was their method? It was a two-pronged attack. On the one hand, there was what Moses wrote in the Law. That's the rock. Here's the hard place: the woman. If you think about it, she didn't have to be there. They could have just shown up and said, 'Jesus, let's suppose a particular situation. What if some woman is caught breaking the seventh commandment …' But having the living and breathing woman there makes a difference. They expected Jesus to be moved by the plight of the woman. Her execution would be real not some hypothetical. In having the woman there they were aiming for what they saw as a soft spot in Jesus' armor: He cared about people. The presence of the woman was intended to get Him to be a little soft on interpreting the Law. And once Jesus did that, snap! The trap slams shut. 'What kind of teacher are you? You're ignoring the clear teaching of the Bible! You're not from God!'

Now, understand what was going on inside of these men. Who was the woman to them? She was nothing; just a tool in their ploy, something to be used and then tossed aside. Their attitude to the Law wasn't too great either. It also was just a tool in their scheme. I can say that because of what their motive in all of this was. Their goal wasn't upholding God's Truth. If it were, they would have proceeded very differently. Their goal was to show that they were right and Jesus was wrong. The Law was just a means to that end. You see, they just knew that they were the good guys, the Righteous! And it was equally obvious to them Jesus was evil. He was just plain wrong in all sorts of things. So, as 'Keepers and Defenders of the Truth', it was their job to show that they were right and He was wrong. It wasn't about how to apply God's Law wisely.

This points to a potential problem for religious types. It doesn't matter what their religion is. It might be Christianity or Islam or some political philosophy. Regardless of the particular set of claims being defended, the problem goes by the same label: self-righteousness. 'I am right, and you are wrong. It's just obvious. There's nothing left to talk about.' So, for these folk, it doesn't matter how they defend the truth. They can use people and be sneaky. They can even be obnoxious. They can do anything they want. After all, the Truth must be defended! So much for our collection of scribes and Pharisees.

Now, how does Jesus respond? Isn't it interesting that He ignores them. He says nothing and scribbles in the dirt. It's only because of their continuing demand for some comment that He ultimately responds. So, why did He ignore them? What was He doing? The fact of the matter is that we don't know what He was doing - except for this. He wasn't reacting. There wasn't a quick comeback. In fact, quite the opposite. The desire for a quick retort is too often tied to wanting to win the argument instead of trying to find out where the truth lies. Been there, done that. Sometimes, it’s a sign of wisdom when someone takes a moment to consider how to respond.

When Jesus does respond, He speaks with economy. 'Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.' Now, whatever else this may be, there is one thing that it is not. It is not an intellectual response to the theological argument that is being presented. Jesus does not aim at the mind here. There are, of course, times to do exactly that. There are times when people really don't understand something, and they need to be taught. But that only works with people who want to be taught. Again, Nicodemus is an example. Jesus explained some things to him. But these accusers are not open to seeing something that they might have missed in their theological conclusions. So, Jesus does not appeal to their minds. Instead, as best as I can understand it, He appeals to their consciences.

This is an old understanding of what Jesus is doing, and it is one that seems to have merit. Let me explain. When Jesus responds to these men He is not saying that before there can be human justice there must be perfection: only the sinless can be judges. That's not possible. And neither is He making sure that none of the accusers has ever committed the sin of adultery. I would be very surprised if, in fact, they all had committed this sin and therefore acknowledged that, disqualified themselves and left. I rather think that what Jesus is doing is challenging their attitude in their plot to trap Him. 'Are you sure that you are going about this in the right way?' He appeals to their conscience. I don't know how else to understand it. And what is quite striking is that at least some of them still had functioning consciences. They could see that what they were doing was wrong. It only would take a few to leave for the rest to follow suit.

Now, understand. This is not repentance. If it were, there would have been words to go along with the leaving. There would have been words addressed to Jesus, asking for forgiveness. Remember, they were trying to trap Him. There would have been similar words addressed to the woman for using her. And there would have been words to God expressing sorrow for abusing His Law. But there are no words. There is no repentance. More than likely, this is simply an expression of shame, self-centered shame at that. It's as if they were saying to themselves, 'What am I thinking? I'm better than this', as they walk away.

So much for the accusers. They were religious men who were motivated by evil goals which justified, at least to themselves, their evil methods. Their consciences worked well enough to recognize shame but not well enough to move them to repentance. Their kind is still with us.

Now, let's take a look at Jesus' interaction with the woman. If you're going to be able to understand this woman, and those like her, so that you might love them, you need to ask this question. Why did she do it? Why the illicit sex? It's possible that she was an evil person who was just out to be rebellious. But you don't get that feeling from the text. She would have had an attitude when Jesus spoke to her. She doesn't. So, why did she do it? Here's a basic principle that helps to explain much: we do what we do because we think that's the way to make life work. Now, someone's understanding of what makes life work can become very twisted. But as long as a person stays rational, that's the reasoning behind his actions. A desperate drug addict thinks another hit will make his life work. In a twisted, short-term sense, his choice feels right to him. And it feels right to him because, in a twisted, short-term sense, another hit does make his life work.

So, back to the woman. Why? What were her reasons? In what way does her adultery make life work? Whatever else might have been going on, this much is true: she wanted a little happiness. And let's face it, the allure of sex is that, in some way or other, it will make you happy, at least for a while. And that, of course, is true. Now, does this motivation excuse her behavior? No. Jesus still calls it sin. But seeing things this way goes a long way to understanding how to love a person like this. We are surrounded by people who yearn to be happy - but who are finding precious little of it; that is, a happiness that lasts. For the most part, they are not hardened rebels. Many of them, though, are coming closer to despair. It is becoming clearer to them that their efforts at enjoying happiness are not working nearly as well as they used to. They need to be told some things. They need to be told that their desire for happiness makes total sense. They were created to be happy, to be always happy. It's just that they are looking for it in the wrong places and in the wrong ways. They need to be told that Jesus gives real and lasting happiness.

Now, let's consider Jesus' response to the woman. Isn't it interesting that He doesn't recoil. 'Sexual sin, ugh! What kind of horrible person are you?' Not at all. Sadly, there are just too many Christians who react poorly when they encounter someone involved in some sexual sin. Why is that? Jesus doesn't do that. Why should we? The next time you encounter someone who is involved in sexual sin, whether that's adultery or homosexuality or something else, remind yourself that this person is trying to find some happiness, just like you are. What they need is some help so that they can look in the right place.

Instead of recoiling and reacting, Jesus reaches out to the woman. He speaks to her. He forgives her. Now, isn't that being a little soft when it comes to applying the Law of God? Aren't adulterers supposed to be condemned and executed for their transgression? Isn't that what the Law says? Well, it does say that. But in midst of your Bible reading you've encountered other adulterers who were not condemned and executed but rather forgiven. David comes to mind. That must say something about how God Himself applies His own Law. Jesus forgave the woman. However, it's important to see that He didn't minimize what she did. She sinned. Jesus' words label it as such and call her to turn from that. 'Sin no more.' That's a call for repentance. And where there is true repentance, the particular sin is replaced by its opposite. Repentance is not just about no longer sinning in that way. It's also about becoming holy in that particular area of life. For this woman, repentance will mean more than just avoiding adulterous relationships. Remember what's behind her sin. She wants to be happy. Good! But illicit sex is not the route to that happiness. She needs to be helped to see the true route to happiness. Without that she will still desire to be happy and still search for it in the wrong places. It may not be about sex any more. But is it any better if she were to substitute a high-powered career as the route to happiness? Or what if she looks for Mr. Right, gets married and has a family. Is that the route to happiness? She will need some help in finding the right route. She is not alone these days. Not by a long shot. Everyone longs to be happy but few know how to find that happiness. They need to hear about Jesus. Following Him is the only route to happiness. So much for the woman and those who are like her.

I started out saying that if you are going to be able to love your neighbors you will need to understand them first. That's what we see Jesus doing here. He understood where these men and that woman were coming from. That's why He was able to respond well. His words to each were words aimed at love. He could do this because of His insight into the human heart. Or to say that using a church word, it was because of wisdom. If you are going to be able to do a good job loving your neighbor, you will need wisdom. You will need to have the same kind of insight that Jesus had. But please note something. Gaining wisdom is not a matter of praying for it and then waiting for God to zap you. That, I fear, is a popular conception among Christians these days. No, wisdom, the kind of wisdom that Jesus had, takes effort. Consider this from Proverbs.

My son, if you receive my words

     and treasure up my commandments with you,

making your ear attentive to wisdom

     and inclining your heart to understanding;

yes, if you call out for insight

     and raise your voice for understanding,

if you seek it like silver

     and search for it as for hidden treasures,

then you will understand the fear of the LORD

     and find the knowledge of God.

If you would love your neighbors so that you can show them the way to happiness according to Jesus, then you will need to invest effort in becoming wise. That will involve earnest prayer, serious Bible knowledge and the hard work of mastering that knowledge so you can apply it well. For some of you, this is not news. You are already doing these things. Good. Let this be an encouragement to you to keep at it. The goal is to be as wise as Jesus so that you can be a blessing to the people you meet. You already see growth here and it shows as you love your neighbors. Just keep at it. Sometimes progress is slow. Don’t give up. Keep at it. The harvest will come.

For others of you this is a call to reorient your priorities. Seeking wisdom is more important than seeking silver. You will need to invest some effort into becoming wise. You will not be able to do a good job loving your neighbors, if you are not able to do a good job of understanding them.

There is a world out there that wants to be happy, that was created to be happy, but that has no clue how to find real happiness. We know something about that because of Jesus. We need to let them in on the secret.