John 8:1-20

1-2 Jesus went across to Mount Olives, but he was soon back in the Temple again. Swarms of people came to him. He sat down and taught them. 3-6The religion scholars and Pharisees led in a woman who had been caught in an act of adultery. They stood her in plain sight of everyone and said, "Teacher, this woman was caught red-handed in the act of adultery. Moses, in the Law, gives orders to stone such persons. What do you say?" They were trying to trap him into saying something incriminating so they could bring charges against him.

6-8 Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger in the dirt. They kept at him, badgering him. He straightened up and said, "The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone." Bending down again, he wrote some more in the dirt.

9-10 Hearing that, they walked away, one after another, beginning with the oldest. The woman was left alone. Jesus stood up and spoke to her. "Woman, where are they? Does no one condemn you?"

11"No one, Master."

"Neither do I," said Jesus. "Go on your way. From now on, don't sin."

12 Jesus once again addressed them: "I am the world's Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in."

13 The Pharisees objected, "All we have is your word on this. We need more than this to go on."

14-18 Jesus replied, "You're right that you only have my word. But you can depend on it being true. I know where I've come from and where I go next. You don't know where I'm from or where I'm headed. You decide according to what you can see and touch. I don't make judgments like that. But even if I did, my judgment would be true because I wouldn't make it out of the narrowness of my experience but in the largeness of the One who sent me, the Father. That fulfills the conditions set down in God's Law: that you can count on the testimony of two witnesses. And that is what you have: You have my word and you have the word of the Father who sent me."

19 They said, "Where is this so-called Father of yours?"

Jesus said, "You're looking right at me and you don't see me. How do you expect to see the Father? If you knew me, you would at the same time know the Father."

20 He gave this speech in the Treasury while teaching in the Temple. No one arrested him because his time wasn't yet up.

I've always adored the story of Jesus and the woman caught in adultry.

But what struck me today is that He's saying to the relgious people of the day that they are missing the point. These religious leaders were all focused on this woman and her sin and how it related to the law (of course they were really just trying to trip Jesus up) but they are missing the point - Jesus. He what should be the main focus.

It always strikes me that people in my culture don't have too big a problem whith general god statements but get all upset when Jesus comes into things.

Yet when I look closer at Jesus and His life, He is SOOO attractive! So loving and merciful, so clear and confrontive when it's needed. Look at how loving He is toward the woman. He does say stop sinning but He doesn't condem her.

Then He goes on to say, you can see it in verse 12, that He can give us light so that we don't have to live in darkness, in sin. Rather than the focus being on the woman and her sin, Jesus brings it back to each person.

This is an excellent passage for co-dependents! It's like Jesus is saying, don't focus so much on other's and their sin, come to me and let me help you deal with your own.

Just this morning I found myself thinking on my husbands character defects. I feel convicted that this is not where my focus needs to be. I need to be in my own life, open to God's light and living my life how He wants me to.

Father, I'm so sorry for my selfish, judgemental spirit this morning. Thank you for showing me the error of my ways. Thank You for Your forgiveness. Please empower me this day to see what You want me to in my own life today. Show me how you want me to act in each situation today. Please help me see Your light and follow Your ways.