Sushi...

I love sushi. Strange, but true. Ever since that first bite, where the wasabi burned my nostrils and the strange blend of rice, seaweed, crab, and various other componants swam around in my mouth as I tried not to spit it all out... I've been hooked. I even think about it in church sometimes. But not today! Ok, just for a minute... but mostly I thought about the sermon. WoW! What a sermon!

The text for the sermon was the book of Job. Pastor Wells explored and explained the wrongful judgment of Job's friends. They saw what appeared to them to be clear evidence of sin in Job's life, and they judged him for it. To them, there was no other solution. Does God punish people for nothing? Job's good name was destroyed among his friends, he had been found guilty and stood condemned. And yet... he was innocent. Job's name stood clear and pure and spotless before God. God approved of Job, while his closest friends judged him. Who's opinion matters to me?

Then we moved to Jesus. When we look at the pattern of Christ, we see that at no time did He explain to someone how they had gotten into their predicament before helping them. Instead, He HEALED them! When Christians fail we so often are ashamed to mention it to one another, for it to be known in the Church- because the Church has become to many a place of judgment! And yet- The SICK the WEEK the FAILING - Flocked to Jesus. They sought after Him. It is important to note that in that time sickness was seen as a direct punishment of God for some sin in one's life. So these people ran to Jesus, knowing that He would not judge them, He would heal them. How do we handle those who appear to be under the chastisemnet of God?

One of the most beautiful stories of Christ's character is the story of the adulteress woman.
When she was cast at Jesus' feet and the men wanted to stone her according to the Mosaic Law, His immediate response was to Protect her. He protected Her! He gathered her in His love and stood between her and her accusers with the direction- "He who is without sin among you, cast the first stone." Do we protect or defend those whom we know to be guilty in the face of their accusers? Jesus did. Then He spoke to the woman, "Where are your accusers?" She looks up from the earth, and sees only Christ. Then, wonder of wonders, he forgives her-- before she repents!! The woman was not asked to make things right in order to receive forgiveness, she was not even made to confess. Finally, Jesus sent her on her way- without ever addressing the sin which brought her to His feet. She knew her sin, her guilt, and Jesus did not remind her of it. He simply forgave her, and told her gently to go, and, "sin no more."

Why oh WHY do we feel the need to reveal other's sins to them?! WHY must we tell our brothers and sisters that they got themselves into their predicaments? Jesus didn't! He Protected the guilty, Forgave the guilty before they repented, and he Exhorted them as they left to live holy lives. - and he didn't do it with a half-hour sermon/ lecture! Oh, let us follow the example of Christ! Let us not judge unrighteously, based on our own understanding and our own convictions and fence laws! Let us let God be God, and affirm the truth in our own hearts. Let me be like Jesus.