Woman, Where Are They?

There are many stories beautifully portrayed in the Bible that capture our attention, overwhelm our hearts; and oftentimes change the trajectory of our very lives.

I love to read the stories of courage, such as the woman who had been bleeding for years who pushed her way through the crowd to touch the hem of Jesus.  Instantly she was healed.

I think fondly of the prophetess Anna who was a widow until she was eighty four and never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying.  I can only imagine a life such as Anna’s lived with pure devotion and selflessness.

Perhaps it’s because such stories of faith, devotion and selflessness appear to be the exception, not the norm, that I am more drawn to women whose sins are put on display for all to see.  It is the humanity of these women that strikes a chord within me, and oddly gives me hope.

Rahab was one such woman.  We are not given her backstory but rather meet up with her as she’s in the thick of living a life of prostitution.  Her life is spared, as is the life of her family, as she shows kindness to the Israelite spies.  We are not told what happens to her after she is received into the family of Israelites, but I am left to believe that she is a changed woman, no longer bound by her life of sin.

This morning as I was reading the book of John, chapter 8, I was drawn to the story of the woman caught in adultery.  Imagine the scene as Jesus, the Son of God, is teaching in the temple courts with a crowd of people gathered around Him.  Suddenly commotion breaks out as the teachers of the law and the Pharisees bring in the woman, making her stand before the group.  

In a very self-righteous manner, they inform Jesus that the Law of Moses commands them to stone such a woman; they want to know what Jesus thinks regarding the matter.  

Jesus, the holy, righteous, blameless Son of God doesn’t get riled.  He casually bends down and starts to write on the ground with His finger.  This makes the teachers of the law and the Pharisees angry as they continue to question Jesus regarding the woman.  

Jesus straightens back up and says to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again He stoops down and writes on the ground. (John 8:7,8) At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time 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.” (John 8:10,11)

If we are honest, we must admit that we are this woman.  Sin is sin.  Jesus is not shocked at our sin any more than He was with this woman who was caught in adultery.  Although we cannot stand face to face with Jesus as this woman did, we have something even more powerful.  We have the Spirit of God within us as believers; we have full access to the throne of God.

As we enter into the presence of God and kneel at the foot of the throne, confessing our sins and worshipping the One who has made us holy, righteous and pure by His shed blood, we are no longer condemned.  

Our sins are forgiven.  Those who accuse us no longer have any power over us.  Fear is replaced with love.  Sins are removed as far as the east is from the west.  

Just as Jesus spoke to the woman caught in adultery, He speaks to each one of us.  His words are words of life, hope and love.  Everything He is becomes who we are as we realize that those who condemn us must depart.  “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 

“No one, Sir,” we respond.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus will declare.

“Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Stay the Course...

Sheila Cote

Half Time

(Inspired by the encouragement of a dear friend as I sat in the dark corners of the locker room)

I don’t pretend to fully understand the game of football.  I know I could if I truly wanted to; however, the reason I enjoy watching the sport has nothing at all to do with the rules or purpose of football.  

I watch football, because every now and then, a player has a moment when they forget that they are mortal.  In the heat of that moment  a split-second decision must be made.  The player cannot confer with a buddy or pause for a moment of prayer; he must act swiftly without ample time to weigh out the consequences of his actions.  

Spectacular scenes unfold before the viewer’s eyes when a player makes a confident move, takes a risk, becomes vulnerable and doesn’t look back or change his mind as he fights to move his team toward a victorious finish.

When all goes well, the teammate is hailed a hero.  Just as in real life, many times a player gets the life kicked out of him; sometimes he is able to stand up and hobble off of the field, with or without the help of his teammates.  There is always that moment of dead silence as the crowd watches and waits to see if the player will rise or whether the medics will circle the scene of the incident like an army of ants drawn to freshly cut watermelon at a picnic.

From the stands or from the comfort of our living rooms we cheer for our favorite team and for our favorite players.  By the time half time rolls around, we have cast our predictions for the victor.  In our minds, half time is not really a part of the game, it’s a resting period.  This is not the case at all.  Half time is not a time of rest for the players; rather a time of action.  It’s often what happens during half time that will determine the outcome of the game.  

In real life, things don’t always go as planned.  Getting kicked in the teeth, blindsided, having the air knocked out of you—not in the game plan.  It doesn’t take long to figure out who is on your team and who is not.  Sometimes the size of our team shrinks when we are in the fetal position wondering if we have the strength or desire to stand back up.  When things look hopeless, predictions are cast, and it would serve us well to run, walk or crawl to the locker room to figure out what half time is really about.

When rugs are pulled out and disappointments strike, in the dark corners of the locker room we must pause and reconsider everything we are doing, everything we believe, everything we are.   

Whether or not our team supports us or chooses to abandon us, we must know who we are in the presence of an audience of One; the One who will never turn His back on us.  The One who loves us no less whether we are hailed the hero or dubbed the loser.  

Half time may linger for many days, months or years as we wrestle with questions that require a deep searching of our souls.  It is in the silence of the locker room, not on the field, that we can clearly hear the voice of God.  In the dark loneliness of the valley His care for us is ever so gentle as He mends those parts of our hearts that are frail and torn.  

At just the right time, at the perfect moment, His breath of life fills us with renewed hope.  Though it seemed impossible to come back and finish a strong game, we are ready.  We are no longer playing for ourselves and our eyes are no longer scanning the crowd for approval.  We are bold, we are confident, we are His.  

The game is not over yet-- this is only half time.

Stay the Course...

Sheila Cote

The Emperor Has No Clothes

“At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.” Mt. 11:25 (NIV)

In Hans Christian Andersen’s Danish fairy tale published in 1837, The Emperor’s New Clothes, we read about an emperor who cared only about his clothes and showing them off.   Two swindlers tell him that they can make the finest suits from the most beautiful cloth.  This cloth, they inform him, had the special capability in that it was invisible to anyone who was stupid or not fit for his position.

The emperor was nervous as to whether or not he’d be able to see the cloth so he sent two of his trusted men to see it.  Neither of his trusted men would admit that they could not see the cloth so instead they praised it.  Everyone was curious as to whether or not they’d be able to see the cloth.

Thinking that the people might think that he was stupid, the emperor allowed himself to be dressed in the clothes for a procession through town.  All the townspeople wildly praised the magnificent clothes of the emperor, afraid to admit that they could not see them, until a small child said, “But he has nothing on!”

This was whispered from person to person until everyone in the crowd was shouting that the emperor had nothing on. The emperor heard it and felt that they were correct, but held his head high and finished the procession.

The expression, “The emperor has no clothes!” is a metaphor that involves a situation wherein the majority of the population of observers willingly shares in a collective ignorance of an obvious fact, despite individually recognizing the absurdity. 

Purity within innocence is depicted when the truth is clearly seen through the eyes of a child. A child is too naïve to understand group pressure to see contrary to the obvious.

God’s Word is unadulterated truth.  We don’t have to try to read between the lines to wonder if Jesus is trying to trick us or to misguide us.  Jesus has chosen to reveal His Father’s heart to each one of us and we need only trust Him with the abandon of a child.  God is not willing to share His throne with another; we must purpose daily to go to God and not man in our endeavor to concern ourselves with only what the King of Kings shows us to be His truth.

It is our Father’s heart that we should all be humble, patient and gentle as we work together with one faith for His glory.    

If God has given you eyes to see something that perhaps those around you have chosen to ignore, may I encourage you to stand strong in your faith, eyes set like flint on the God of all truth?  In spite of criticism or possible betrayal, let’s not be timid. Now is not the time to close our eyes and ears or to strive for matching the majority; instead, we must strive to emulate the purity of the child who innocently proclaimed, “The Emperor has no clothes!” 

Stay the Course...

Sheila Cote

A Kiss On The Lips

(I wrote this blog several years ago and didn't post it for fear that it may be taken the wrong way given the title.  However, having stumbled upon this blog and re-reading it, I am hopeful that the subject matter will be understood in its proper context...)

I remember junior high and my first “real” boyfriend.  That is, until he decided to plant a “real” big one right on my lips.  Disgusting!  I dropped him so fast he didn’t know what hit him.  I could tolerate hand-holding.  I could even endure a kiss on the cheek, but a full-on lip kiss was more than I had bargained for.  A kiss on the lips signified a depth to our relationship that at that time was strictly one-sided.  I simply wanted to be able to tell my girlfriends that I had a boyfriend...nothing more.  

Now that I am a little older, I see things slightly differently.  I have become familiar with Proverbs 24:26 (NIV) which says, “An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.”  

Do you have friends in your life that “kiss you on the lips” with their honesty?  Is it the deep truth of a full-on lip kiss?  On the other hand, do your friends tell you what you want to hear, brushing your cheek with a kiss?

I’ll be honest.  I have both kinds of friends.  I bet you do too.  

When I’m hungry for deep truth, when I’m ready for someone to hold up a mirror to reflect the truth of what he or she sees in me, I call on a friend who is brave enough to kiss me on the lips.  It is a true friend who puts speaking the truth in love above protecting a friendship.  Truth spoken in love provides a welcome honest answer even in the middle of pain.  Something is conveyed from the friend’s heart to ours that makes us realize that a quick kiss on the cheek is no longer satisfying.  

Once we experience a kiss on the lips, going back to thinking that a kiss on the cheek is acceptable is almost impossible.  There is much more at stake with a lip kiss, for sure.  A lip kiss says everything without saying a word.  It’s a commitment and a mutual understanding of a level of intimacy that is shared with few. 

An honest answer has a way of hitting our hearts in places that we have protected from past wounds, opening us up to opportunities to allow truth to bring healing and freedom.  With our new found freedom we are liberated to reach out to others on our path and share our stories openly, gifting them with a true reflection of them so that they, too, may walk into healing and freedom.  There is no fear or risk in taking a true look at oneself once a genuine kiss on the lips has been experienced.

Although an honest answer is like a kiss on the lips, an honest answer not spoken in love can feel more like a slap on the face.   

Emphasizing the comforting effect of the truth, The Message translation says, “An honest answer is like a warm hug.”  This analogy may assure those who prefer a hug over a kiss (maybe you had a bad boyfriend experience as I did!).  Whereas a kiss may make some uncomfortable, who doesn’t like a warm hug? 

As for me, I’m all for quality when it comes to my friendships.  I long for depth and truth – warm hugs and lip kisses.  

So, the next time someone asks for your honest input, take a deep breath and consider your options.  Will you brush him or her with a quick kiss on the cheek or will you take the time to share a warm hug, possibly followed with a kiss on the lips…a kiss of true friendship.

Stay the Course...

Sheila Cote