John 9:2

“who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?”

John 9:2

We want so badly to understand it all. We want to perfect systems and theologies so that when X happens we can say it happened for Y reason. It is in our nature. If we can understand something we have a power over it. Science seeks to map our genes and to document the laws of physics that govern this world that we may harness them to do our bidding.

As believers we seek to plumb the depths of God. We compose systematic theologies so we can predict the Lord’s behavior as if he were an animal in a lab. Through our haughty efforts we seek to reduce the Lord down to a system we can plan our lives around. Ultimately though, what we are seeking to known is the mind of God; to see the big picture; to known the unknowable. At our worst, we are seeking to control God by mapping out his patterns and behaviors. We think too highly of ourselves. Who are we to know the mind of God? We cannot. His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. The disciples wanted to know God’s mind; why He did what He did. They wanted to predict the Lord. But the Lord’s plan was bigger than their system. God’s plan is bigger, more confusing, brings more glory than we can imagine. We must broaden our perception of how He will work. To be sure, He will not contradict His Word, but His ways and means are not predictable. Only through a relationship with Him can we truly experience the fullness of His will for our lives.

Freedom

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But 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, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped 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 8:3-11

Jesus’ encounter with the adulterous woman illustrates two things prominently. First, it illustrates, the preeminence of grace in our existence. No one can withstand the condemnation of the law (Rom 3:23)—no one. It may not be adultery but we all fall into equally sinful situations. It is only by God’s grace, here demonstrated by Jesus’ rescue of the woman caught in adultery, that we even exist let alone have a relationship with God.

Secondly, this story shows us that a relationship with the Lord trumps legalistic religion. It is easier to commit one’s life to following a set of rules than it is to be in an active relationship with the Lord. We would rather condemn ourselves with a rule of law that we cannot keep than live in the terrifying freedom of a life lived with Christ. To give ourselves a list of dos and don’ts puts the power in our hands to procure our salvation. Embracing the freedom Christ offers acknowledges the Lord’s power to save us despite our sins. Never do we want to encourage sinfulness (Rom 6:1,2) but rather to do everything with a heart set on knowing and serving the Lord. We sin either way, it is the result of our fallen nature, but in grace we are free while under legalism we are in bondage. So the next time I feel weighed down by guilt, or self-righteous because of my deeds, or wanting to condemn another’s actions, I would do well to heed Christ’s momentous words to this woman.