those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth,
for they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water.
—Jeremiah 17:23
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.
—John 8:3-6
“Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.”
—John 16:32
The word "forsake" comes from roots meaning oppose, deny, give up, or renounce. Behind that, one can find the ideas of accuse or blame.
When the scribes and Pharisees dragged the woman before Jesus, there was plenty of blaming, accusation, and opposition. She stood alone and forsaken. Behind that, we learn that the Pharisees and scribes were ready to give up her life in a ploy to oppose and accuse Jesus. So He, like the woman, stood alone.
Unlike her, unknown to her accusers, He had authority in that moment, and He used it. He used it to force them to look at themselves instead of her, to force them to confront their own guilt. To force them to confront the fact that they had forsaken the heart of the Father. They had turned away from Him, who came to bring the water of life.
Was it their names that he wrote on the dust? Did they think of Jeremiah's prophecy?
Whether they did or not, they were put to shame. And they left the woman alone, with Jesus, who refused to condemn her. He knew what it was like to be abandoned. Later, He experienced it in the worst way, in the worst moment.
Jesus did not give up on her.
And when we, like those in the crowd, have to be reminded of our own imperfections and failures, He will not give up on us, so long as we do not give up on Him.
Not Forsaken
For the Lord will not forsake his people;
he will not abandon his heritage;
—Psalm 94:14
O Lord, the hope of Israel,
all who forsake you shall be put to shame;
those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth,
for they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water.
—Jeremiah 17:23
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.
—John 8:3-6
“Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.”
—John 16:32
The word "forsake" comes from roots meaning oppose, deny, give up, or renounce. Behind that, one can find the ideas of accuse or blame.
When the scribes and Pharisees dragged the woman before Jesus, there was plenty of blaming, accusation, and opposition. She stood alone and forsaken. Behind that, we learn that the Pharisees and scribes were ready to give up her life in a ploy to oppose and accuse Jesus. So He, like the woman, stood alone.
Unlike her, unknown to her accusers, He had authority in that moment, and He used it. He used it to force them to look at themselves instead of her, to force them to confront their own guilt. To force them to confront the fact that they had forsaken the heart of the Father. They had turned away from Him, who came to bring the water of life.
Was it their names that he wrote on the dust? Did they think of Jeremiah's prophecy?
Whether they did or not, they were put to shame. And they left the woman alone, with Jesus, who refused to condemn her. He knew what it was like to be abandoned. Later, He experienced it in the worst way, in the worst moment.
Jesus did not give up on her.
And when we, like those in the crowd, have to be reminded of our own imperfections and failures, He will not give up on us, so long as we do not give up on Him.