Agressive Grace

Aggressive Grace

  

She was clearly in the wrong, for they caught her with a man in such comprising ways.  So, they dragged her from his arms into the synagogue to appear before ‘the master teacher’.  They wanted justice and they wanted entrapment.  Justice to condemn her and entrapment to catch him in a wrong response, a wrong word at the wrong time.

He was there alright.  He was teaching as they suspected.  Nevertheless, they barged right in, pushed her down to the ground, naked, shamed, hair a mess, body and soul a bigger mess. 

The accusations began: “Teacher, we have caught this woman in the act of committing adultery.  The law of Moses commands that she be stoned.  What do you say?”

The hall fell silent.  All that could be heard was heavy breathing of the attackers, and the quiet whimpering’s of the lady.

The mob really wanted to trap him into saying something they could use against him.  They didn’t really care about the lady.  She was just an excuse to trap him, the teacher. 

What he did next astounded the mob.  It astounded the woman.  It was unheard of.  He simply stooped down and began writing in the dust and dirt on the floor.  Nothing fancy.  Not even doodling.  Just nonsensical writing. 

After a moment, they persisted.  They stated their accusations again, louder, stronger.  They mumbled, and rumbled, they threatened, they were angry.  How dare he ignore them.  They had a complaint.  They had a suspect.  Was he deaf?  Did he hear them?

He stood up.  He looked the mob in their faces, looking from one to the other.  He saw their sweat, he heard their heavy breathing, and he saw the rocks they carried in their hands or in pouches hanging from their waists.

And he spoke: “Okay.  I hear what you say, but first, let anyone who has never sinned throw the first stone.” 

And he stooped once again and continued to make marks in the dust. 

Within seconds, had we been there, we would have heard a thud, and then another, and another.  It was the sound of rocks being dropped.  They weren’t being thrown at her.  They were being dropped.  And then the shuffle of feet can be heard as the mob disperses.  One by one they all left the scene, leaving only the Teacher and the woman.

He stands again, and after looking around, he asks her, “Where are those who were accusing you?  Did not even one of them condemn you?”

“No, my Lord,” she said.

And Jesus, The Christ, said, “Neither do I condemn you.  Go, and sin no more.”

What a marvelous demonstration of aggressive grace.  He had a victim.  He heard the accusations of those who were witnesses.  And He showed aggressive grace. 

Let’s break those words down:

Aggressive:

  Hostile

  Insistent

  Assertive

  Hard-hitting

  Uncompromising

Grace:

  Kindliness

  Favor

  Mercifulness

  Clemency

  Lenience

  Reprieve

I have been a recipient of this aggressive grace in my life.  And I know it is offered to you as well. 

May this aggressive grace of Jesus flood your heart and mind now.

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