Kneeling and Doodling
Kneeling and Doodling
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him . . . . John 8:6-7
It’s early in the morning. The dew is fresh on the ground as eager worshippers make their way to the outer court of the Temple to hear Jesus, the amazing teacher and healer, talk about God. As he begins to expound on the Scriptures, there is a commotion in a far corner of the court. The sounds of yelling, screaming, shrieking, laughing and cursing fill the air. Those sounds are immediately accompanied by an image: a group of men, well-known religious leaders, are dragging a scantily dressed woman into the temple. She is crying. The men literally throw the humiliated woman at Jesus’ feet. Their question is simple: the woman has been caught in the act of adultery (Somehow they fail to mention what happened to the man). The Law of Moses says that she should be stoned. They demand an answer from Jesus–what should be done with her?
At this moment, Jesus does an amazing thing. Instead of responding to their demands, he slowly kneels down and begins to doodle in the dirt on stone floor of the Temple. It’s almost as if he’s stalling, thinking about his answer. Encouraged by Jesus’ apparent hesitation, the mob demands all the more that he respond. They yell at Jesus, insisting that he answer them. The more Jesus delays, they more they persist. Soon, every eye in the area is focused on Jesus, which is exactly what he wanted.
What was Jesus doing? I believe he was taking the focus off of the woman. Imagine her shame, her humiliation and her fear as she was dragged into her own place of worship to face her accusers. She knew what the Law said. She knew that they had a legal right to kill her, that she was at best just an hour or two away from a horrific death by stoning. She also knew that her secret sin was now public, her nakedness now exposed. And that’s what bothered Jesus most. His biggest concern was not showing-up these arrogant Pharisees or defending his message of forgiveness. All of that would come in due time. His first priority was the woman. There standing before him was a life that he had created. His first instinct was to rush to her aid. So he did. He knelt down. In doing so, he got the attention off of the woman and onto himself. That’s what he did for her, and that’s what he does for us.
When Jesus died naked on the cross, he was exposed for all the world to laugh at and reject. The humiliation, shame and pain of our sins became his in that moment of death. The eternal justice of God that should have been leveled at us was redirected to him. And that’s exactly what he wanted. Jesus always wants to be the center of the attention. It’s his natural right as God’s Son. He always wants to be the center of attention, even when that attention means death.
And so he knelt. When he did, every eye turned to him; all the attention was focused on him. That’s exactly where it should be.
What sin do you stand condemned in today? What moral blunder holds you captive? Jesus died to take the guilt and shame off of you. He died to redirect God’s wrath from you to him. The Law does indeed say that sin yields death, and that’s why Jesus died. He died on a rugged cross, the center of attention for the devil, every demon and angel, all humanity and God himself. He became the focus so you and I, when caught naked in our sin, wouldn’t have to be.
There will be no Wake Up Calls December 23-January 3. They will resume Monday, January 6.
