“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. John 8:4-8
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Let all Israel repeat: “His faithful love endures forever.” Let Aaron’s descendants, the priests, repeat: “His faithful love endures forever.” Let all who fear the Lord repeat: “His faithful love endures forever.” Psalm 118:1-4
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever .... Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles. His faithful love endures forever .... He remembered us in our weakness. His faithful love endures forever. He saved us from our enemies. His faithful love endures forever .... Give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 136:1, 3-4, 23-24, 26
Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love. Micah 7:18
The story of the adulterous woman comes about because some religious men who oppose Jesus want to trap him into saying something they can use against him. From what they know of him they think he will say something that will contradict the requirements of the law. Jesus was at the temple sitting in the courtyard teaching the multitudes who were coming to him one morning. And then there appeared before him a group of men wound tight in the confines of their self-righteous religious system and a woman unraveled by a lifestyle of loose worldly living. "For God so loved the world that he sent his only unique son, that whoever believes in him would not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16)." God loves the world and that includes the tightest of the tight and the loosest of the loose. Those who are wound tight in religious self-righteousness don't think they need Jesus and those who are totally unraveled from loose worldly living think they are beyond his love and acceptance.
It is because of the Father’s love that the Son was sent for us and it is because of the Son's love that he gave himself for us. The love that provides salvation and the love that comes to the recipients of salvation makes all the difference and is sufficient to unwind the tight and rewind the loose. In the words of the other passages above God's love is faithful, enduring, and unfailing. There is absolutely nothing we can do to earn or prohibit God's love and acceptance. God's unconditional and unlimited love and acceptance come to us solely because of what Christ did for us on the cross.
Lord, we confess that sometimes we are tight and sometimes we are loose. Thank you for your unconditional and unlimited love and acceptance that meets us right where we are. Help us to be so in tune with your loving and accepting heart today that we are lifted above the struggle and tension that comes from the push of trying to get things right and the pull of temptation to do things wrong. Thank you, Lord. Amen!
