If you are in the Airview Women's Bible Study you know your homework for this week was to think of a woman who has influenced you and be prepared to share.
I have no problem thinking of dozens of women who have encouraged me and led me in the right direction all through my life. Teachers, pastor's wives, friends' moms, and lots of girlfriends older and younger have influenced me for the good.
Tonight we will look at someone who would have certainly been a woman our mothers would have warned us about. The Bible says in ICorinthians 15:33 "Bad company corrupts good morals", if you have not made friend choices that would cruise in the "bad company" catagory perhaps your children have. As moms we are up against some tough competition for the hearts and minds of our children. We want them to be salt and light, but we don't want them being drug into the pit by the enemy!
For a moment let's just think of the crowd Jesus ran with. There were stinky fishermen, a tax collector, not much is said about the other's occupations but they were pretty much the plain janes of the day. No great preachers (yet), no prophets or Bible book writers (yet) just guys. They were probably of little if any real reputation. I love the fact that God didn't come down and commission great evangalists to walk with him. He chose flawed people. He loved the dirty hands and faces of the pure in heart.
One day Jesus had an angry bunch of "churchy, uptight, self righteous men" bring him a woman who was "caught in the very act" of adultery. I have often wondered where the man went when this woman was dragged out into the street to be stoned to death. The mob asked Jesus what they should do with her. Read: John 8:1-12. It pretty much gives us the story in living color. Jesus stoops down and starts writing in the sand. I believe this has significance because; 1) He gets down on her level, I bet he looked into her soul with those coffee brown eyes and made her feel loved for maybe the first time in her life. 2) He pretty much was ignoring what the men were saying and doing. I believe his silence spoke volumes. When he did speak he embarassed the men by challenging the "one without sin among you cast the first stone". They knew the law, they knew they were all guilty of some sin. No one dared throw a stone of course! As the crowd dispersed, Jesus stooped down again...I bet this time he smiled at the woman, maybe even winked a "I've got this" smile. Both times it mentioned him writing in the sand....have you ever wondered what he was writing? One pastor friend says perhaps it was the names of men who had been with this woman, or naming sins he knew they were guilty of. Just writing out the ten commandments would have been enough to disperse the crowd.
Now, we get to the woman's influence...when everyone had left Jesus asked the woman "Where are they? Did no one condemn you?" She replied "No one Lord" and Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you: go your way. From now on sin no more.
The next verse says "I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life." Can you imagine for a minute what it must have felt like to have the living Savior tell you that 1) He didn't condemn you to die, although your behavior warrented it. 2)He had faith that you would follow him and sin no more. and 3) That from then on your influence on others would change dramatically...you would be walking in the living light! Now, that's what I'm talking about. I would love to have followed this girl back home and around town for a few days. I bet she couldn't scrub that smile off her face. Jesus had made the difference in her life and now she would go about her business as an influence for him. I bet she started up a women's support group for retired street walkers, fed the homeless and taught poor children to read. I imagine this woman becoming a joy to be around. Her new life had to be contagious.
Have you had this kind of influence in your life? A woman to whom so much has been given along with forgiveness that she just bubbles over with love and enthusiasm? Sometimes we need people in our lives who "have a past". They have been forgiven much so they understand grace better. Jesus didn't tell her to try to be a nice girl...he told her to go and sin NO MORE. Grace is not to be abused, but God knows our hearts, he knows it's hard for us to come back and say "I've messed up again". He is faithful to forgive us though when we are sincere.
Pray for any of your friends who are living a life of self and sin.
Pray for your influence to be that of a forgiven sinner who loves purely.
Thank God for the women in your life who have come to Jesus as "adulterous women" and left with new life.
No comments:
Post a Comment