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A journey through Lent - 2016

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Day Thirty Two - The Adultress.

Jesus on the cross Image

In Jeus' time the Law was clear - adultery was a capital offence.

So, in this passage, the scribes and Pharisees come to test Jesus. They bring to him a woman caught in adultery.

Jesus sees through this and instead challenges them in return "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."

In doing so he was challenging them to look again at the law and its foundations which are rooted in love.

There, therefore, although appearing to follow the law they were actually working against it in their lack of love, humility and compassion.

Faced with this challenge they retreated.

Jesus on the cross Image

Jesus then challenges the woman. First absolving her and then asking her to leave her life of sin.

So it is with us. None of us are sinless and yet when we could be condemned Jesus turns to us and challenges us to change and walk away from our sinful selves into his presence.

The message to the scribes and Pharisees is also a heartfelt message to us not to judge others without compassion and love.

For no one is beyond God's grace and mercy.

Bible Passage: - John 8:1-11 (NIV)

but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered round him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, 'Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?' 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. 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.' Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

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. Jesus straightened up and asked her, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?'

'No one, sir,' she said.

'Then neither do I condemn you,' Jesus declared. 'Go now and leave your life of sin.'

Contemplation Saying.

"Go now and leave your life of sin."

Contemplative Prayer.

Think of the saying in order to understand context and meaning,

Feel the meaning of the saying with and in your heart,

Pray, using the saying, for yourself or others. With only a name and without explaining the reasons or pre-defining any answers.

Listen for God's voice in the quiet of your prayers.

Pray using your own prayers or one of those which have been prepared below.

Hymn: Singing the Faith - "And Can it Be"

Let us pray together.

Twitter Prayer

Lord, we thank you that in you we find new life and hope. Amen.

Facebook Prayer

God of mercy, you turn our despair into hope.

You do not remember the wrong doings of our past forgiving our failures that weigh us down.

In you we find new life and hope.

Let us hear your words of challenge and release, "Go now and leave your life of sin". Amen

Full Prayer

Ash Cross

Loving Father, you are a God of mercy and compassion.

We thank you for sending your Son, Jesus, into our world to show and teach us how to love.

May we open our hearts, minds and souls to you and in doing so may we reflect your love in the world around us.

Help us to walk the path of love.

In every aspect of our lives may we seek to be your face of love, compassion and mercy.

Help us not to judge others but to receive everyone with open hearts as you do.

We pray for the touch of your Holy Spirit on our lives to help us and pray this prayer and all our prayers in the power of your Holy name our Saviour Jesus. Amen

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God of mercy, you turn our despair into hope.

You do not remember the wrong doings of our past but lift from our hearts those failures that weigh us down.

In you we find new life and hope.

May we hear your words of challenge and release, "Go now and leave your life of sin". Amen

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Lord, help me not to judge others, to condemn without love.

Help me to always offer the hand of friendship no matter who the person or their situation.

Show me how to react in the situations of life I find myself in. So that I will not be unloving because of my fears.

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Lord Jesus, you showed your way of love to the woman caught in adultery.

We thank you for that mercy which is also shown to us.

Help us to change our lives and follow you.

Give us the strength to resist temptation and to live following your example. We pray for your help in your all powerful name. Amen.

Image of Jesus and the Woman caught in adultery used under a creative commons licence.please visit the artists pages for more lovely images.