Title /John 8:1-11
Content - A conversation we had while receiving a meal at a church where we went to preach the evening service a few weeks ago- One person is completely ruined, no shame or regret, and he is praying with the belief that only God can build him up now. that.
Another story about quitting Go,
We see two elements of our faith.
One is the faith of renunciation. It's not about giving up on life, it's about giving up on yourself. It is a life of acknowledging the absolute God and relying on God.
The miracle of faith begins here.
Another is the struggle of constantly refining and refining oneself while constantly examining oneself. It is not unconditionally clinging to it just because I like it, but examining and challenging myself for the maturity and beauty of faith.
Do you have this kind of faith alive?
-In today's text, a woman is pulled like a dog by people.
The woman was caught in adultery.
All the people took stones and brought the woman to Jesus with a posture to stone her to death at any moment.
It is clear why people brought the woman to Jesus.
They are trying to trap Jesus, grab a pod and kill him.
According to the rabbinic teachings at that time, three sins were to be stoned to death.
Idolatry, murder, and adultery.
Ex) There is a book called [Mishna] that specifically interprets the law along with the tradition that has been passed down to the Israelites for several thousand years. Here, there is a specific expression for the name of the crime, and the penalties are recorded in detail for each Article A. There, the sin of adultery was called the dirtiest sin, and the most filthy slain. To give one example, an adulterous woman is put in a mortar. Then, they put a towel around their neck, mark them, and pull them from both sides with strings, dragging them around until they die. And another way is for the whole town to go out of Dong-gu and stone them to death. This horrendous extreme punishment is a method of execution in which the entire village participates, even with children.
To obey this law, they brought the woman to Jesus, not just to be executed, but to Jesus to test Him.
If Jesus tells us to kill according to the law, Jesus is in two dangers.
The first is that the part that was respected and loved as a friend of a sinner is severely damaged. And you are subject to Roman law. Judea was a Roman vassal state, and execution of a person was only possible under Roman law. Therefore, he is caught as a man against Rome.
Also, telling them not to kill is a sin against God's law. If you hold on to this, you will be condemned by the people as a person who violates God's law.
- At this time, Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground.
This is the wisdom of Jesus.
Jesus wasn't excited when people came excited and when he knew that this was meant to put him in a corner.
By writing on the ground, he tries to calm the crowd's excitement for a while.
When a person gets excited, emotions come out, and those emotions cause him to lose his temper.
It is said that when a person is angry, he can win even if he counts ten thousand to his heart. It is said that if you wait one minute, you become a winner.
Our mistake is because we act according to our emotions when they come out.
Because when you're excited, you act like you're excited.
Ex) The incident where he had a fight while reciting Bible verses and then killed him with a gun-
Even when we are doing good things, we can get excited and emotional about small trivial matters, so we do things wrong and make tests.
Especially when someone criticizes me and puts me in a corner and makes me bad, it's easy to lose my temper.
Ex) Shakyamuni - Even if I curse, if I do not accept it, it is not mine.
- Then what did Jesus write on the earth?
Some say that they just scribbled to buy time.
Some say they wrote down their sins.
It is also said that some wrote a list of common sins.
The word written here means that the original language was written against as "categrafen".
That is, he wrote a list of their sins against them.
As he was writing down their list of sins, he stood up and said to them, "He who is without sin, let him first cast a stone at him!"
At these words, each and every one of us put stones down and slowly departed.
Here we must know one thing.
That we are all sinners.
If we make this fact clear, our lives in the community of the church should be a relationship of compassion, forgiveness, and support, rather than condemning and hating each other. Isn't the church the group of sinners?
The most difficult and difficult church is the one holding stones towards each other.
It is very sad to encounter such a church sometimes.
But a church that lays down stones and embraces each other, understands, loves, forgives and accepts each other is a beautiful church.
Ex) Husband's wife's infidelity while living abroad - A person who went to Mt. Gwanak in the cold winter, broke the ice, bathed, forgiven him, came down the mountain, attended the Wednesday worship service, received grace, and won through faith Chairman)
It is easy for us to lift stones. But it is difficult to forgive and accept.
This history must first admit that we are all sinners in one way.
"He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone!"
The meaning of the word "sinless" here is "one without the desire of sin."
Therefore, he is including not only the sins of actions but also the sins of the heart.
Ex) Jesus says that even if you have lust in your heart, you have committed adultery.
The Bible says
(Romans 3:10) "There is none righteous, not even one."
*We can say that our faith begins by acknowledging that we are sinners.
Ex) It is said that someone decided to pray for a thousand days in the morning to receive grace. However, it is said that the Lord's answer at the last morning prayer time was, "Know that you are a sinner."
Ex) Peter's confession - "Lord, I am a sinner"
Why do you believe in the Lord for a long time, but there is no change and you cannot escape from your lukewarm faith?
Because they do not know that they are sinners.
So he is proud.
There is no meaning to the cross. Even the shedding of Jesus' blood cannot be touched. His death or his love do not impress.
The fact that I died for my sins must come to me strongly. I have to personally meet Jesus, who died for my sins. You must touch his nailed, bloody hand.
And I am thrilled and delighted. I am moved by the love of the One who died and suffered for a sinner like me like a wave. We can't bear it, so we confess, "I have nothing to offer but my body, so I will give this body." It is to fulfill the changing work of faith by living and dying for the Lord.
If you realize and know this fact and go to Nanga, you cannot be lukewarm while believing in Jesus.
You cannot live the life of a religious person by tying Jesus to the form of a dead person.
When you know this fact and become a believer who moves forward with this emotion, your purpose, meaning, and reason for living will come out clearly.
Ah, this is love, this is grace, this is power, this is a blessing. As you realize this, you will gain strength, courage, and hope in your life. And you will be able to live while enjoying the grace and blessings that he pours out.
*People have to look after themselves.
A person who lives by condemning others is a painful life.
A person who only sees the faults and faults of others cannot enjoy life.
Those who look only at the faults and faults of others are the most foolish and arrogant.
You must see yourself first.
Examine yourself, put yourself down before the Lord, and be humble.
(Galatians 6:1) ?쏝rothers, if a man is found guilty of any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual, in a meek spirit, correct such a person, examine yourselves, lest you also be tempted.
(Galatians 6:3-5) "If anyone thinks that he is nothing, he deceives himself. Let each one examine his own work, and then he will have to boast in himself and not in others, for each will carry his own burden."
Ex) The prodigal son was able to come to his father's house when he looked after himself and acknowledged that he was a sinner.
Dear saints!
Let us be the ones who always look out for ourselves first.
As I said in the beginning.
We hope that there will always be a beginning when we admit that we are sinners, put ourselves down before the Lord and give up. And I hope that the challenges and struggles to change themselves into a more beautiful life arise, rather than those who stop there.
We need two courage.
One is the courage to admit that you are a sinner,
Another is the courage to forgive each other for those sins.
Look at the Lord.
There is only Jesus in front of her.
Because only Jesus is righteous without sin.
The sinner meets the woman and the righteous meet the Lord.
You have to stand there like that.
But Jesus says:
"Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."
Even Jesus does not condemn.
He silently walked to the cross for that sin.
To whom are you holding stones now?
While criticizing and condemning, aren't you excited to see other people's faults and faults?
Quietly examine yourself. And put down the stone and pray instead.
Let us hear the voice of the Holy Spirit before the cross of the Lord, who forgave our sins and died silently for us.
"He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone!"
"Go and sin no more!"
The real need in this age is not for those who take up stones and condemn them, but for those who look after themselves, hold the Lord's forgiveness, pray, and kneel before the Lord's cross.
Dear saints!
We, Western Church, and all of us hope to make this work.
Amen.