The story, in the Bible, of the woman caught in adultery is really one of my favourite. As a matter of fact, I love every story that involves Jesus and women, because in his hands we are safe and are a powerful weapon.
Jesus has shown us over and over again that when we choose to trust him, he will use us to break ceilings and change the narratives in our cultures and societies. No wonder the enemy is so intent on creating division amongst women.
Have you ever wondered what happened to the man she was doing the booty call with ??
This unnamed woman (let’s call her Queen) was caught with her partner in crime, however her accusers chose to focus on her alone, and choosing to keep the other guilty person (their male counterpart) out of the story.
These despicable men who took Queen before Jesus were expecting immediate condemnation and judgement from Jesus, however his response was nothing to what their had expected. He knelt down and began to write on the ground (wouldn’t you like to know what he was writing??). The accusers proceeded to quote from the law of Moses, reminding Jesus about what should happen to Queen.His answer was absolutely classy. He famously says,
“If anyone is without sin let him be the first to throw a stone”.
His response was shocking to them because it forced them to look at their own heart. It forced them to look at themselves and be confronted by their own sin- their own complicity. It forced them to examine their own behaviour.
Throughout this interaction, you will notice that Queen is completely silent. I personally think, she didn’t defend herself because she was afraid to be accused of more things. She was filled with shame, guilt and sense a failure, that she had failed her family, and failed the people that believed in her. She couldn’t ask where the man that she was. The accusations took her voice away. The accusations silenced her!
A couple of months ago, I was caught in a situation (not adultery) where I was accused of something that I didn’t do. I was falsely accused and exposed without my side of the story being heard. The situation shocked me because I had been misrepresented and literally felt naked like this woman that was caught.
The accusations that I faced a couple of months ago also silenced me. I was completely stunned and paralyzed.
Maybe you are like our girl Queen who committed adultery and got caught, but your friends and family will not allow you to forget it. Maybe you had a teenage pregnancy, an abortion, drug addiction, stole something, are a university drop out…the list is endless, and your accusers will not allow you to forget your mistakes which had has taken your voice away.
Perhaps the accusations have filled you with shame; a shame so deep that you don’t think that you will ever recover.
Perhaps the accusations are so deep that they have silenced your dreams, and they have planted a seed of deep self-doubt and self-loathing and self-rejection. Perhaps the accusations have taken your dignity away.
I am here to tell you that Jesus is not about all that. He is not about piling on the accusations. He is not about breaking you to the point of taking your dignity and sense of being away from you. He does not condemn! He does not accuse!
He is about restoring the years that the locust has eating;
He is about breathing life into a lifeless situation;
He is about taking your deepest regrets and weaving them into a beautiful tapestry that will restore your name and dignity and bring glory to His name.
Later in the story, as they each recognised and accepted their own sin, one by one they began to leave, leaving Queen alone with Jesus. He then decides to break the silence in her by asking, “WOMAN HAS NO ONE CONDEMNED YOU”? He gave her the opportunity to get her voice back without prying eyes. He afforded her the grace and the mercy that she desperately needed, and He gave her back her dignity by really “looking at her” and “seeing her”.
He didn’t see a woman that was about to be stoned. He saw a daughter of a King, a woman who is worthy of love, worthy of respect, worthy to have her voice back, worthy of a second chance. After she answered that no one had condemned her, He said “neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more”.
He sent her back to her family and friends, forgiven and loved. And he gave her back her voice in order to deal with the consequences of her sin. There are always consequences to the choices we make in life, however, those consequences can be dealt with when we have a voice
So, if you are like our girl Queen and you have made a mess of your life somewhere, and have made terrible decisions, the question is what can you do? Where can you go? How do you get your voice back and silence the accusers?
Here are a few useful points to remember:
- Repent, and turn away from your sin,
- Jesus is your healing balm, and he has made a way to bring wholeness to your life,
- Accusations and condemnation are not from Him- that’s not his way,
- He has taken away your guilt and shame, and given you the garment of praise,
- He has and will continue to silence your haters,
- He will restore your dignity.
So, fix your crown and walk with your head held high.
Know that the blood of Jesus speaks a better word over your life and that is the most powerful voice and the only voice that matters.
When you begin to listen to his voice, He will give you your voice back, just like He did with the woman, and like her, you will walk in freedom and in the fullness of everything that He has called you to be.
