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- Apr 25, 2006
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Lift them!
'... Jesus stooped down ...' John 8:6
There's a story in John 8 of a woman caught red-handed with a case of the extra marital affairs. The story isn't used to highlight the woman's relationship CV though; it's told to highlight our reactions to others' failings. In the red corner, we have the Pharisees, foaming at the mouth, veins pulsing in their necks, ready to lift an enormous collection of rockery in her direction.
In the blue corner, we have Jesus ready to lift her up, full stop. Before we catch our panto-selves crying 'yeah' for Jesus and 'boo' for the baddies, we need to stop and recognise ourselves in the story. Like, imagine your best mate has just cheated on her boyf. Everyone at school is calling her ... well, you fill in the four letter blanks. What do you do?
a) tell her she's only got herself to blame and the writing on the boy's toilet wall backs your theory up?
b) tell her, cheer up, plenty more fish in the sea, which seems appropriate as haddock-faced lads seem to be her thing anyway? Or
c) take now as the opportune time to confess you got off with him last Friday behind Greggs, so now you're even-stevens. If you did any of the above, you've just picked up a rock and thrown it in her face.
We all have the power to build up or break down. Whose corner are you in? Jesus or the Pharisees?
written by Bob Gass
'... Jesus stooped down ...' John 8:6
There's a story in John 8 of a woman caught red-handed with a case of the extra marital affairs. The story isn't used to highlight the woman's relationship CV though; it's told to highlight our reactions to others' failings. In the red corner, we have the Pharisees, foaming at the mouth, veins pulsing in their necks, ready to lift an enormous collection of rockery in her direction.
In the blue corner, we have Jesus ready to lift her up, full stop. Before we catch our panto-selves crying 'yeah' for Jesus and 'boo' for the baddies, we need to stop and recognise ourselves in the story. Like, imagine your best mate has just cheated on her boyf. Everyone at school is calling her ... well, you fill in the four letter blanks. What do you do?
a) tell her she's only got herself to blame and the writing on the boy's toilet wall backs your theory up?
b) tell her, cheer up, plenty more fish in the sea, which seems appropriate as haddock-faced lads seem to be her thing anyway? Or
c) take now as the opportune time to confess you got off with him last Friday behind Greggs, so now you're even-stevens. If you did any of the above, you've just picked up a rock and thrown it in her face.
We all have the power to build up or break down. Whose corner are you in? Jesus or the Pharisees?
written by Bob Gass
