Reading Jesus Part X: Drawing Lines in the Sand

Where do you draw the line?

Where do you draw the line in the sand and dare some one to cross?

I don't know about you, but I have my lines. Lines form boundaries that hopefully protect one from harm; harm to self and others; and sometimes lines are drawn to keep others out or in; and sometimes lines are drawn to know on which "side" of the line one stands; sometimes lines are there in an attempt to trap another; sometimes, however, I think lines trip, and cause us to be stumbling blocks to God's presence and desire for those God created and loved.

Jesus drew lines in the sand.

This morning I was reflecting on the passage in John: "The 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. 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."

I think sometimes Christians draw lines in the sand, but not lines like Jesus drew. It feels like our lines are drawn to trap and separate; to incriminate and divide. Just as those devout religious folks did Jesus, they wanted to know what he believed and where he stood as a teacher of the Religious Law-- either way he was doomed. But Jesus knew the hearts and motives of those questioning him and he did what only God can do, he spoke to the depths of hatred, deception and self-righteous of the soul of another.

What side of the line do you stand?

Does your religious law give your permission to bring the one caught in sin into public disgrace-- exposed-- so that you can kill with stones of rejection, exclusion, and hate? Our religious teachers are masters at helping us decide which side of the line to stand.

As I reflect on my life, I find it much easier to stand on one side of the line or the other. I find it much easier to look externally at the adulteress-- the one who is spiritually and morally bankrupt-- than I do internally at those parts of myself that are spiritually and morarlly bankrupt. It is easy to stand with the crowd who thinks like me and throw rocks, it is much, much more difficult to kneel on the line beside Jesus knowing that I kneel beside the very Love that I need to transform my life.

Where do you stand?
Who are you convinced are the sinners and deserve the sentence of your religious law?
Name them publically.
Take them before Jesus.
Show Jesus the sinner in your midst.
Know that you are right; be convinced.
Take a crowd of friends who think like you; take religious scholars with you; take the sinner before Jesus and look Jesus in the eyes.
Read his face.
Read his heart.

Stand before the broken, bleeding one; the one who was broken, bled, and executed on your behalf.
Show Jesus the sinner and know in your heart and soul that you are right.
Tell Jesus that your religious law gives you permission to stone the person-- your law demands execution-- and see what Jesus has to say, not to the sinner, but to you.

When we are faced with the sinners in our midst and we are convinced that we stand on the correct side of the line in the sand and blast them with stones, may we have the faith to fall to our knees beside the Word made Flesh and allow him to look within our hearts-- I suspect Jesus would see some things we don't-- or won't.

I don't know the religious laws and dividing lines you face; I do know the ones I face; perhaps it is best that I leave the final judgement to God, and get on my knees beside Jesus... perhaps that is a good place for the entire Church... on our knees before Jesus, naming our own sin, instead of the sins of another. But I bet we won't do it... will we?