John 8

I have suddenly been hearing a large number of sermons/discussions recently about John 8.
John 8 was a passage that never used to stick out much for me. In fact, most people do breeze over/by it because it concerns things that are not fruits of the spirit and definitely not pure, lovely, etc (Phil. 4:8).

It is a raw chapter. About sin and dirt and shame and blood-and-guts type action.

It is a chapter that I had heard about in a sort of detached manner. "This passage shows us how Jesus could get out of a trap..." or "In this chapter we see the grace and forgiveness of God offered to the 'least of these'."

But no:

John 8:

This chapter is about a woman.
About a low-life scum woman.
And she comes to the end of her rope.

She is lost, caught, mangled, and probably crying.
She knows that this is the end.
There is no more hope.
No hiding anymore

I wonder if she faces this with a resolve.
Or maybe she is scared to death.

She is finally let go of.
Alone
On the ground
As low as she can get.

All her life she has known what it means.
She knows the emptiness
and the pain
The wracking screaming pain
Of life this way

People are yelling
Things are going on around her
She is not listening
No, she cannot hear
It is all she can do to lay on the ground and weep.

Alone
No hope
Crying
On the ground
As low as she can get.

Why can't there be silence?
Wait....it is silent.
She tenses, waiting for the blows
But still silence
She suddenly begins to use her senses
She is in a circle of people

Crunch!
She flinches, but realizes
It was not her that was hit
She opens her eyes to take a peep
She is still in a circle of people

But she is alone
On the ground
As low as she can get

There are more stones dropping
Beating the packed earth, striking hard
An unsteady, agonizing beat
She finds a breath somewhere
But she holds it in, still afraid

The last stone--crack-- on top of the pile
A hurried scuffling of feet
Little whispers of voices in the background
Still, mostly silence
She is too afraid to believe

She looks around quickly
She looks up
He knows
He sees

She is alone
Afraid
Dirty and worthless
On the ground
As low as she can get.

But He speaks
He speaks to her heart
His eyes cleanse her
His voice is like a river

She does not understand
What does all this mean?
How could no one condemn her
Such a ludicrous thought.

All her life she has known what it means.
She knows the emptiness
and the pain
Of life this way

But so does He!
Oh, so does He!!!!