Public Spectacle

Malicious men barged into the woman’s tent and grabbed her, yanking her out of her bed. She tried to push them away, begging the man she was with to help her. He stared with horror, transfixed, but not willing to help. She desperately clutched at a sheet to cover herself as the cruel men pull her out of her tent. One yanked on her arm, another pushed her from behind. She pleaded with them but they would not be dissuaded. She kept looking back, hoping the man she was with would come to her rescue but he did not. The men push her and force her to stand before the people. She, shamed and crying.

“Teacher, this woman was caught having sexual relations with a man who is not her husband. The law of Moses commands that we stone to death every woman who does this. What do you say we should do?”

The Teacher does not look at the spectacle that was created. He turns away from them and bends over and starts writing on the ground. In deep concentration, his finger slowly etches out words.

The mob continues to demand an answer. They shove at the woman, trying to make the Teacher take notice of her but the Teacher does not look up.

Finally, after some time, the Teacher stands up and responds, “Anyone here who has never sinned can throw the first stone at her.” Then he quietly bends back down and continues writing on the ground.

The mob is silenced. They have no words to respond with. Slowly, one man after another leaves quietly. The older men first and finally the cruelest and most judgemental of them leave last. The Teacher and the woman are left alone. The Teacher stands up and looks the woman in the eye and asks her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one judged you guilty?”

“No one, sir,” she responds.

Then Jesus said, “I also don’t judge you guilty. You may go now, but don’t sin anymore.”

John 8:1-11

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There are times when we are shamed and made a spectacle of. All our wrong-doings are displayed for others to see. We are shoved before a mob of people with fingers pointing maliciously at us. It’s an awful and horrific moment and one made of nightmares of which we desperately hope to awaken from. But here’s the thing. As we stand there silently, the judgmental people leave one by one and we are left alone with Jesus. The others are gone and it’s just us and Jesus. No one else. It is at that moment that we understand our desperate need for a Saviour. Jesus came for us.

For me, I was publicly shamed to my family, my ex’s family, to the two schools my children attend, to my previous church, and to the seminary that I used to attend where my ex still teaches in. Each time I was left reeling, feeling as though I was punched in the gut. I begged my ex to stop but his malicious response was, “Why is that, Dee?”

My marriage failed. I didn’t speak up for myself and over time, my voice got silenced more and more. My marriage failed and finally, I gave up.

Our marriages may fail but ultimately, we are Christ’s bride and even when his bride fails, Jesus doesn’t go around destroying her reputation of vilifying her in an effort to get her to smarten up and submit. No, he extends mercy and grace and leaves the choice up to his bride.

Even more so, he took on our shame. He took on our nakedness. He allowed his naked body be nailed to a cross. He was made a spectacle of. He was humiliated and mocked and scorned. And he did that for us because he loves us so deeply. His love is unfathomable and so undeserved. We keep messing up and on the cross, he took away our sin, our disgrace, our humiliation, our shame.

And so, like the woman in John 8, although I’ve been shamed and disgraced, ultimately it doesn’t matter. I have a Saviour who took on my shame in an undeserved act of amazing love and grace. It does not matter what my family may think of me. They may have made a public spectacle of me, pointing out my sins and laying them out for all to see but eventually, one by one, they walked away and I am left alone with my Jesus.

And here is what I take comfort in. God uses the broken and those who don’t have their lives all together to accomplish what he wants. Noah got drunk, yet he built the ark that saved humanity. Abraham twice gave his wife to powerful kings, stating that Sarah was only his sister, and yet he became the father of Israel. Moses was a murderer and yet he led the Israelites out of Egypt. Rehab was a prostitute and yet she became an ancestor to Jesus. King David was an adulterer and a murderer and yet he was called “a man after God’s own heart.” The Samaritan woman at the well had six previous husbands and she was living with the seventh, and yet, after she met Jesus, she became the witness to the people in all of Samaria. God uses those who aren’t perfect and who don’t have it all together but who willingly walk with him by faith.

My life is far from together but I will step out in faith. I will keep walking with Jesus. He loves me, messed up and all.

Dee