June 29th, 2025 - "Poetic Exploration: The Woman Caught in Adultery" - Rev. Chase Green

Matt Nelson: Welcome to the Sermon podcast from First United Methodist

Church in downtown Bentonville.

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Rev. Chase Green: My name is Chase Green.

I'm the pastor at Goddard United Methodist Church.

That's where

Reverend Dr. Ray Wheeler is today.

I promise we'll return him to you and this is such a wonderful opportunity.

We are in a compelling preaching initiative cohort and one of

our assignments is to preach in a different type of way.

So lucky you, you get the different type of sermon that I would normally

do, uh, but I want to share how much gratitude I have for you

to welcome me into your church.

Michelle, my dear friend, for letting me preach here, and so we'll get started.

Let me share this scripture passage.

It comes from the book of John chapter eight, verses two through 11.

Early in the morning, he came again to the temple.

All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them the

scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery.

And making her stand before all of them, they said to him, teacher,

this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery.

Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.

Now, what do you say?

They said this, to test him so that they might find some

charge to bring against him.

Jesus spent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.

When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, let

anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.

And once again, he bent down and wrote on the ground.

When they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the

elders, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.

Jesus straightened up and said to her woman, where are they?

Has no one condemned you?

She said, no one sir. And Jesus said, neither do I condemn you.

Go your way and from now on, do not sin again the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Let us pray.

Come Holy Spirit and speak to us, your children.

All of us gathered here.

Are listening in the name of the Father, the Son of the Holy Spirit, we ask Amen.

Used, do you know what it is like to be used like an object dragged

by the hair thrown low to a station as a lesser subject, a possession

seen only as a means to an end.

Instead of a soul with meaning, how can we treat others so mercilessly as if

they are numb to any feeling you and you and you, your eyes, your thoughts, your

judgments, you condemn just like me.

But don't we know that course will lead down a road where

we will never be free used.

Do you know what it's like to be treated like an object?

Her only desire to flee before the woman there is us standing and

waiting for the scene to play out.

Yeah, don't approach the story.

If you don't know shame, you'll skip by and answers will leave

you in doubt you know of Shame.

The prison, it makes how we become frozen trapped within our past.

Use that now as the play begins.

Freedom may be yours if you tread lightly.

Allow a savior to enter to treat you kindly.

Shame, shame, shame.

The very religious people shout, shame, shame, shame echoes the

religious courtyard and the temple, the most public of all sacred spaces.

Shame, shame, shame fills the ears of the taken woman.

It is deafening, desecrating, and dehumanizing.

Shame.

Shame, shame.

Is their purpose, stripping her of dignity, having her to be an example.

They spring a trap for larger prey.

Soon they will walk away with great dismay.

May shame, shame, shame.

They shout as they cast her before the rabbi.

They have fangs and barbs ready for attack, desperate to draw

blood, desperate to petrify.

She's a prop like a puppet.

Not for a sweet lesson.

No.

She's used to being one of the ones whispered about little do they know.

The attempt will silence their shout.

They unload the word teacher as if they truly have respect hidden in their

tongue as venom to wound and scar.

The holy one.

This woman, this woman, look at her here.

Can't you see?

Can't you see what she has done and who she is caught?

She is.

We have her dead to rights.

Adultery is her sin.

Oh, the stain on her is great.

Now, tell us the truth of what is to be her fate.

You remember a great teacher, our wise ancestor Moses, you know, the

one who let our ancestors out of slavery and whom God gave the law to.

He says she is to be stoned.

Their eyes dared to stones snug deeply already in hand, gripping

them, and ready to launch.

What will the teacher do amidst this raucous and religious band,

the Bread of Life did not shout.

The Good Shepherd did not threaten the word made flesh.

Did not use speech to degrade.

He knelt calmly to the earth there to the ground.

He was focused on a way to have the trapped girl unbound in the dust.

He made markings.

What proverb did he quote?

The leaders continue their interrogation to nearsighted to observe.

They have already failed.

Soon they will learn.

He arose ready with the perfect question to bring about freedom.

Is anyone among you who is without sin?

Let them be the first to throw a stone at her.

Is there anyone?

Among you who is without sin, let them be the first to throw a stone at her.

Is there anyone among you who is without sin?

Let them be the first to throw a stone at her.

The question brings about something deeper.

As it plays over again.

They freeze and know their conviction is beginning to wane.

He didn't wait for an answer down again to the ground.

He went leaving them to stew while holding the stones in their hands.

He began his markings again to record a proverb for all.

While guilt filled those standing and gawking as they found no way out

of what he said, they knew the truth behind his question from the scribbled

proverb, they read guilt, guilt, guilt filled their hearts and minds.

Guilt, guilt, guilt as they recalled each sin that confines guilt.

Guilt reminded them they each could receive a sentence.

Guilt.

Guilt.

Guilt may indeed transform their hearts for penance at once they began to leave,

unable to bear another minute more quickly, the embarrassment came and it

brought a mighty downpour now only to remain the Lord and the captured one.

What will be her fate now?

The proverb gives the answer.

You can figure it out.

If you're an allegiances to Christ, are you a blessed ambassador?

Woman?

Has no one condemned you?

Oh, those words were un binding her shackles.

The shame they locked on her, fused by hers as well was brittle

now and like sand in the wind.

No one, sir. She said with joyful tears.

A full heart.

Now on the mend, neither do I condemn you.

The words flooded her soul.

Go and sin.

No more be free from sin and shame.

See, this proverb, here is the fulfillment of the law.

Go my dear child.

Be free.

Forevermore.

Amongst the dirt of the courtyard that day it lasted, but a little while until

footsteps stomped as normal, hiding those sacred words, you know them to be true.

It is what saves us all.

The answer to sin and shame is the proverb.

Jesus scribbled love is the law.

Love is the law.

Love is the law.

Here at this day, if freed a woman from captivity, it'll rescue you today for if

love is the law, judgment is not ours.

Our path and purpose become crystal clear.

Love your neighbor.

Love yourself, love God so very deeply.

Yours is freedom.

So go like this woman from that time long ago, go and sin no more

and love forevermore for all we can say now is love is the law.

Amen.

Thank you.

Matt Nelson: Thanks for listening to the Sermon podcast from First United

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Grace and peace.