Elders

When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders.

 - From John 8 

The people of 2023 need to hear this. Read it. Reflect upon it. 

First of all, look at the behavior modeled by who?

 . . . The elders. 

There are so many gaps to this narrative of the woman caught in adultery. The Scribes and Pharisees bring a woman (drag her?) to Jesus . . . demanding that He tell them what to do about the woman "caught" in adultery. 

Where did this happen? What were the Scribes and Pharisees doing there? Who was she committing adultery with . . . and why is nothing done about that person?

There is a very real likelihood, just from reading between the lines and considering basic, predictable human behavior, that the man committing adultery with the woman was a respected member of the community; maybe himself a Scribe or Pharisee. When he got caught . . . it was very obvious, that something would have to be done about it. 

How like modern people, particularly modern leaders. They go about their corrupt practices. They commit their crimes. And then, before they can get caught, they blame their opponents. A group of American politicians collude with Russia . . . but before they can get caught, they blame their opponent for doing the same. 

There's a weird component to human nature, that makes this type of maneuver easy. For whatever reason, if I go on and on about how evil another person is - because they are doing, or will do, what I am already doing . . . you develop a sort-of teflon against being accused of doing the same. And you're the one doing it!

This is what the Scribes and the Pharisees were doing! If you point the finger enough, you are training people not to notice it, when you're the one doing whatever it is you're pointing at!

Perhaps this is the real lesson of the account of the Woman Caught in Adultery. And perhaps it has a lot to do with the mysterious words Jesus was scribbling into the ground. 

And notice that it takes a great deal of maturity to handle this concept. This is why the elders left first.

Remember Not aka "Forget"

Remember not our past sins . . . 

 - From Psalm 79 

Of all the things that God can do . . . and He can do anything . . . perhaps the most marvelous is His ability to forget something. Just as He can create something out of nothing, just by thinking about it, so can He send a wrong committed to oblivion, making it so that it had never happened in the first place. 

That's what is meant by the concept, that God forgets our sins. He forgives . . . but then He forgets. 

We talk about that when it comes to humans . . . "forgive and forget."

We act as if it's even possible. Hey don't worry about it. I have forgiven you, and I forgot it ever happened. But that's impossible. It is as impossible for us actually to forget a wrong someone committed against us, as it is for God to remember something that He has forgiven. 

So the practical solution is . . . to pretend like we have forgotten. In reality, we have not. We can not. But as we are to become imitators of Christ, we must will ourselves to behave as though the wrong done to us never happened. 

The result is: we become people of true grace. Even as grace means being forgiven even though we don't deserve it; so do we practice, by extending grace (forgive and forget) others, even when we can't. It is the path for imperfect humans to approach the throne of God. It's how we get ourselves into His presence - - - by doing what we do not want to do; what we cannot do - - - anyway. 

Changed

God changed his mind . . . 

 - From Jonah 3

The notion that God has inconsistencies is a particularly vexing one. We need Him to be consistent, because, I guess, that's what you would expect from omnipotent beings. In others places of Scripture, it will say that God "never changes."

How do we square it with this account from Jonah? God changed His mind. He did NOT wipe out Nineveh, as He said He would do. He left very little wiggle room for Jonah, in preaching the message to the Ninevites. Tell them that, in 40 days, everything and everybody around them, will be gone. 

But lo and behold . . . He changes His mind. They became particularly repentant, and moved God. His compassion got the best of Him. They might return to their wickedness one month from now. But lately, they have been my pride and joy. I will spare them.

So there remains these three: faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love. 

Inconsistent passages present us with exceptions. And the exception proves the rule. What would be an example of when God changed His mind (was inconsistent) and what exception to God rules would be the one that not only varies from the rule, but which one actually proves the rule?

The greatest of these is love. If God declares that He will wipe out an entire nation . . . but later on, reneges, what would be His reason?

In Jonah's case, the people actually did repent. They actually did change their ways. They had thumbed their noses at God, and He pronounced the death penalty upon them. He judged them . . . and an irreversible punishment was the apparent result. 

But God loves us. He wants us to turn around. He does not want us dead. And even though we may rebel again, later on . . . still, at this moment we are as He prefers us, as He made us. And for now all is well.

When God changes, it's because He loves us. And the greatest of these is love.