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Love Bends Down

by Shannon Heiden  
12/10/2008 / Devotionals

And Now I Will Show You The Most Excellent Way....

Beautiful One, we will experience many seasons in our lives when we will not have many things. But let it never be said of us, that we have not love.

And 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, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he bent 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

It never ceases to amaze me how God works in the lives of people. It astounds me at times that Gods ways are usually in direct opposition to the plannings of man. Just when you think He is going to do something a certain way, you soon find out, that it looks like nothing you've seen and He doesn't take a poll to see if any agree.

I suppose that's why Jesus brought out such emotion in people. People either loved him or hated him, accepted him or rejected him, nevertheless, Jesus upset the applecart, He overturned the tables, wherever He went, people sure knew about it. When He came, He changed things, He made people think and when He left, you were either better or worse -based upon your belief.

As this drama unfolds in the book of John, its wide array of characters and issues from long ago, can still be seen in the minds and hearts of people today.We have the leaders of the church, Gods preachers, then there are the everyday people, and of course we cannot forget the adulterous woman who is singled out because of her sin.

All of the cast is on the set, with Christ himself playing the leading role while directing and producing a lesson for all involved, including you and I.

Jesus was teaching and training, re-arranging mindsets attitudes and agendas. Here He was addressing the teachers of the law, and here they were with unassuming faces that hid beneath their surface- angry stares and deceptive intentions towards our King.

Entering the scene is a woman who has been dragged out of bed, literally. It was a bed she never should have been in, nevertheless, she was. It was a bed of familiarity, sin and comfort that became a bed of shame, guilt and huge consequence.

Can you sense the tension in the air? Can you see Jesus stopping His sermon and watching as men drag this woman in, she is disheveled in her appearance, she was caught in the act itself, so I am sure no one gave her time to get her clothes on right or fix her hair and make-up.

Here they all are together, the woman, the crowds, the teachers of the law and the One who knows the intentions of every heart there.

Can you see all of them standing there? Waiting with anticipation for Jesus next words, listening intently, plotting their next move when He does speak. Finally, they think, "we've got him now, we've got this one cornered, this one who heals the sick, restores sight and forgives sinners."

"This one who claims to be GOD, We're going to get him now....."

But we serve a Mighty God who has the edge on every corner!

And when the moment comes for Christ to step forward in all of His strength and wisdom-

He answers them not a word.....

Instead, Jesus bends down and takes his finger and starts writing in the dirt. Now I don't know what our God wrote that day, but whatever it was, it changed the intention and the order. Killing a sinful woman and tripping up Jesus wasn't going to happen-not today.....

About halfway through Jesus writing on the ground, Jesus then asks for the one who is without sin, only they can throw the first stone. But as we know, none could make that claim and all those plotting and deceptive unassuming faces turned and walked away, leaving their stones of judgment on the ground, where they belonged.

And can you imagine the stunned look on the woman at the center of this story? Just moments ago, she was preparing herself for the worst, trying her best to stand there, trembling, shaking, rehearsing over and over in her mind, "why did I do this, why didn't I stop? I'm going to die for what Ive done.... "

Playing the tape of guilt and regret. She was wrong, they were right, she was a horrible sinner, according to some, she was the worst, but God stepped up and bent her way and the woman who came on the scene, sinful, ashamed and afraid, left it, forgiven, redeemed and loved.

So, what can we gleen from this field in history?

Love bends, love changes things, it changes people and circumstances, but most of all Love changes us and that's good news because in Gods Kingdom- Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment... Every single time!

Beautiful One, earlier it was said that no one could come forward and claim to being without sin, well, no one but One. Jesus was without sin and He could've by His own admission thrown a stone at this woman, but He didn't, instead, Love bent down because He knew that it is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance and change, it is His goodness and love that draws us near to Him, not finger pointing, fear, and judgment.

The truth remains that we fall short, we all have issues and we all need Mercy, Love and Grace daily. .
The important thing for us to remember is; only Love received can be Love given. We can only extend what we ourselves possess. The next time you are faced with a bed of issues, sin, shame, guilt and regret in your own life or in the life of another, remember-

That God is patient, God is kind, God does not envy. God does not boast, He is not proud and He is never rude. God is not self-seeking, He is not easily angered and He keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Simply said; God = Love, and Love never fails....

Beautiful One, Just Believe and If You're Going To Bend, Bend On The Side of Love.....

It Is The Most Excellent Way....

Shannon Heiden
[email protected]
changingonelifereachingmany.typepad.com

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