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When they heard this, they all left, one by one, the older ones first. Jesus was left alone, with the woman still standing there,” John 8:9 (GNT)
This verse used to puzzle me. It …
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When they heard this, they all left, one by one, the older ones first. Jesus was left alone, with the woman still standing there,” John 8:9 (GNT)
This verse used to puzzle me. It simply tells us that they heard him and started to leave. I wonder what exactly did Jesus say. Non-verbal language can be more powerful than any spoken word. Apparently what Jesus wrote spoke so loudly to their guilt stricken consciences that they all left without a word. He hasn’t spoken a single word to the woman and perhaps she is wondering, “Will he condemn me too?”
Victims of abuse often have difficulty discerning God’s voice speaking to them. It’s not that they don’t want to hear him, but often it’s difficult to be quiet long enough to simply hear God’s still, small voice speaking to our hearts. I remember one day I heard that familiar voice. During this time of intense pain God spoke to my heart in a very distinct and clear manner, “You need to forgive the one who is hurting.” I told God, “No!” I told him that, “they knew what was right and I shouldn’t have to forgive them!” So I wrestled back and forth with God. During one of those discussions God kindly, and gently, reminded me of what he's done for me.
“You were lost, now you're found. You were blind, now you see. I saved you. You need to pray for them.” Finally, reluctantly, I said, “yes.”
When we are hurt, we don't see our suffering, loss and heartache from God's eternal perspective. Maybe you’re the one who has hurt someone else and now your conscience is plagued with guilt and tormented by shame. What is God telling you to do? Amazingly, God’s grace is far greater than we can possibly comprehend. For the guilty men in the temple that day — all of them — each one individually felt the convicting power of the spirit. The sad part is, they left. They walked away from Jesus.
They turned their backs on the only one who could save them. What will you do? (Stay tuned, Part 9 is coming next time.)
(Steve Nelson is the pastor at the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Powell.)
