Skip to main content

The "Sinful" Woman

The "Sinful" Woman


I grew up in what I would call a level-headed, balanced, talked-about-and-lived-out kind of Christian home, faithfully attended a good-'ole Southern Baptist church, and dedicated thirteen years of my almost-perfect-attendance to a Bob-Jones-KJV-only-type Christian school. With the combination of these three "extremes" (if you will), I feel like God well-rounded me, humored me, and taught me many, many life lessons about Him, His standards, His grace, and His unwavering love for me - no matter what.

While I agree theologically on some things that go on at Bob Jones, I wouldn't exactly say they've got it right on all accounts. I'm not down with blue-and-pink-genderized sidewalks, nor am I offended if someone flashes off their un-panty-hosed ankles in my direction. However, after reading through and teaching a Bible lesson to my students out of the Bob Jones curriculum today, I have a whole new respect for the writers at BobJonesPress.

Why?

Because, despite all outside, "legalistic," old-school, non-factors aforementioned, they got something terribly right. 

In short, today's lesson was on forgiveness. It began with a list of items we should "put off" as Christians (Ephesians 4:31), continued with things we should BE (Ephesians 4:32…which happens to be my mom's life quote for my siblings and me….for possibly ever and ever), and culminated in examples of who Jesus forgave.

Who was on the list?
In the words of BobJonesPress, the "sinful" woman.

Wait…. who???????
I'm glad you asked for clarification. I was curious myself. I mean… aren't we all "sinful" women (and men)? I was reeeeaaaaal curious as to why BobJonesPress decided to write her up this way - until I saw the reference.

John 4. Go read it, if you get a chance. Pretty please.

In an attempt to explain this difficult situation to 9 and 10 year-old kids, I'm guessing BobJonesPress decided to blankly term the woman as a "sinner." Something we can all, young and old alike, relate to, right? My student-kiddos didn't seem to mind grasping that concept today. Details aside, we all sin, right? Right. 

The sinful woman.

People glanced at her quickly enough to judge her and shallowly enough to separate themselves from her.

Jesus conversed with her long enough to love her and deeply enough to heal her.

See the difference?
It's not in who knew the details and who didn't.
It's in Who aided her to the place of deliverance (and who didn't).

All husbands (and live-ins) aside, this woman was simply a "sinful" woman.
She needed saving.
She needed help.
She needed healing.
Just.
Like.
The.
Rest.
Of.
Us.

Sad thing is….she didn't just exist in Bible times.
She's all around us today.

Are you judging her by her life's dirty details? Why? Her sin already demands its own nasty consequences.
Are you spurring her on to knowing more about her Divine Deliverer? Why not? "Your light should SO SHINE before men that they see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven."

He delivers you.
He'll deliver her too.

Now, let's get to work forgiving… just. as. we've. been. forgiven.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

When Emotions Dance

When the clock strikes midnight, it’s time to get home.  But what we learn at the ball tonight, we need to make known.  Life’s not a party. It’s more of a dance. And thankfully, none of it is left to chance.  There IS an Orchestrator.  He chooses the songs - He handles the beat.  We simply decide what to do with our feet. For now, we sit at our table, content in our seats. We watch all the people.  We converse.  Laugh. And Repeat.  In walks Joy. (We all knew she was invited.)  Her presence alone makes everyone excited.  She’s an old friend, a sweet soul we all know.  She goes straight to the dance floor and (of course) steals the show.  Then suddenly, Joy steps off to the side.  It seems that something threw her off her stride.  It was him.  Everything changed when he entered in.  A sloppy, stinking young man walked through the door.  (People wonder if he’s ever been here before.)  With dirty cloth...
2 comments
Read more

For inquiring minds that would like to know… here's our story.

For some of you in my life, you've been asking, praying, and waiting to see something noteworthy happening in my dating life. So have I. Because I don't exactly know where to start, I'll simply begin at the beginning. Jeff and I both went to school together at Trinity Christian Academy here in Jacksonville from kindergarten to twelfth grade. From first grade to sixth grade, we had all the same teachers. Because our last names are so similar alphabetically (Hazard and Hill), we were seemingly ALWAYS sitting next to each other. Seriously. Always. Around. Each. Other. haha… For those of you that know me well or have known me for a long time, you know that God's done quite the work in my life over the years in chipping away some (note: not all) of my childhood sassiness and giving me a sweet spirit in its place. However, for those of you that knew me then, you would readily agree that I was quite the "over-confident little girl" (to quote my daddy). ...
2 comments
Read more

Unintended Audiences

God woke me up super early this morning with these thoughts running through my mind, so I suppose they are to help someone out there who’s struggling. I hope this letter, or FB “note,” encourages everyone out there – intended and unintended audiences alike. Unintended Audiences                 I’m sure it happens all the time in classrooms all around the world. Student A passes a note intended for Student B - only for it to be intercepted by the teacher. It’s actually quite the riot when the teacher is bold enough (and mean enough) to read the note in front of the entire classroom. It’s like a free pass into the secrets of that person’s life. The inner sanctum, if you will. The Holy of Holies, where everything is out in the open and raw before the presence of God and everyone else. But why, oh why, do people long (and maybe even love) to hear the content in the forbidden letters? Why do the unintended audiences...
2 comments
Read more