Things Jesus Never Said, week four:

“Your Sins are Forgiven, Go and Do Whatever You Want”

John 8:2-11

I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better. -Maya Angelou

Teachability - willingness to learn

Jesus was a teacher.
Jesus knew a better way, and He was looking for people who could be taught.

This is exactly why Jesus never said, “Your sins are forgiven, now go and do whatever you want.” A good teacher never says, “Great, you got it wrong, now keep doing it the same way and see if it works out differently for you.”

context: Jesus is in Judea for the celebration of one of the Jewish festivals, which meant there were lots of people around and lots of public displays of law-following. At first, Jesus is flying under the radar and listening in to the conversations about who people think He is, but then He begins to teach.

2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” —John 8:2-11

• When everyone else walked away, Jesus was still there. Jesus was without sin. Jesus could have condemned her. Where everyone else couldn’t condemn her without condemning themselves, Jesus chooses not to condemn her.
• *Instead, he dies for her.
• Jesus takes sin incredibly seriously. He also takes forgiveness seriously.

He chooses not to condemn her, but he tells her to take her forgiveness as a new opportunity to learn, to do better, to choose the better way He has made possible.

• How teachable are you?
• Are you stuck in your ways, or are you ready to be taught a better way?

To be a follower, a disciple, a student of Jesus is not to get it all right right away - it’s to be ready, eager, and willing to learn. To get it wrong and try again. To live in the freedom where that kind of grace and life is possible.