Making 7 Seconds Count ~ John 8:1-11

They kept asking him questions. So he stood up and said to them, "Has any one of you not sinned? Then you be the first to throw a stone at her."

John 8:7

Do you think of yourself as one who is quick to judge or are you slow to make judgments?

There was a study completed at the New York University School of Business which states that all people make eleven judgments in the first seven seconds of meeting someone. We deem a person’s wealth, education, creditability, trustworthiness, sophistication, sexual orientation, success level, political affiliation, ethnicity, social or professional desirability, and religious background. We determine all of this within the amount of time it takes an average person to draw a single breath.

This 11 in 7 rule as it is known is not unique to business students– this is everyone. We all do this. We all make snap decisions about everyone we meet or merely pass on the street. We predetermine our opinions or our thoughts toward another before he even opens her mouth. We judge without even realizing we are judging.

And often the first impression sticks.

Imagine….

You see a woman sitting on a bus bench with two kids with dirty faces and no shoes – what is your first thought?

You see a man entering a church with a tie carrying a jacket – what is your first thought?

You encounter a teenager with piercings in both ears and her nose, dressed entirely in black carrying a skateboard – what is your first thought?

We make judgments – quick and without thinking - and they often limit our ability to see the child of God in front of us.

At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. ³ The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ⁴ and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵ In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” ⁶ They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

When they tossed her in front of him, I imagine him glancing at her briefly as they pose the question, “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?”. 

He doesn’t answer, he simply bends down and begins to write something in the sand before them. All of these men were learned – they could read and write and they would have been reading as Jesus wrote. The words were likely bold – maybe he was listing their sin; or maybe he was writing the Law in the sand – the rest of the story so to speak. Regardless of what he wrote, after a few moments he stands, lifting those deep, dark eyes to the accusers and says, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7)  

He drops this challenge like a gauntlet before returning to his sand writings. While he writes, the woman’s accusers slowly dwindle until all who remain are Jesus and the woman. He lifts those same brown eyes to her, this time likely filled with warmth and compassion as he straightens his body to standing saying, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

¹¹ “No one, sir,” she said.

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

It is easy to make snap judgments – we were wired that way. We were designed to determine if someone might cause us harm or bring us joy – but or initial impression may cloud our view.

What is important is pushing through our first impressions to try and find the child of God beneath the surface. Our eyes need to be fit with the lens of compassion – to see the world as Jesus does – to be slow to judge but quick to justice.

We only get seven seconds to make a first impression.

How will you use yours – will you judge or will you stop and see what the Lord sees – His children in need of a compassionate hand. Will you be able to say, “The Lord hasn’t condemned you and neither do I”?

Quote of the Day

“The tendency to turn human judgments into divine commands makes religion one of the most dangerous forces in the world.”

Georgia Harkness 

Scripture

John 8:1-11 

Question of the Day 

What do you see when you see the world?



John 6:60-70 ~ Stepping Out in Faith

"Do you also want to leave?"

 Peter replied, "Master, to whom would we go? You have the words of real life, eternal life. We've already committed ourselves, confident that you are the Holy One of God."

John 6:67-69 (MSG)





Here is the worst kept secret in the history of man:

Life isn't easy.

But the crazy thing is - most people expect to find an easy way or a short cut in life. Many people feel entitled to an "A" for little effort. Who wouldn't want that?

But, when some are challenged with the reality of the cost of that "A" - the hard work and study required - people often give up.

In John's Gospel we read of the reaction to Jesus's message that he was the bread of life; that he was the way to heave. Many people were turned off by his imagery of Jesus being the conduit to grace. The thought of having to literally eat Jesus's flesh turned many away. They couldn't see what he was trying to teach them - that he was the ONLY way to get to the Father. He was - and is -the Messiah.

With this teaching at Capernaum, many of Jesus's devoted turned their backs on him. And he was left with the twelve - even though he knew they would not be truly faithful in the end.

In Jesus's message about the bread of life, he was challenging those who claimed to have deep devotion to him. These were followers who had witnessed his miracles - who had seen him heal and who had seen him feed thousands - and yet when one teaching challenged their ability to have faith in what they could not see - they fled.

They didn't have faith in the gift of grace Jesus offered. Those who turned their backs on him in Capernaum were sycophants who wanted the candy of life. They were not looking for the nutrition that Jesus offered. They were people who, like so many today, wanted to pick and choose the pieces of faith that they "liked" but quickly move away when they discovered challenges which were uncomfortable.

Faith in Jesus isn't about always liking the path you are on - but it is about having the faith to trust him each step of the way. Sometimes the choices and direction he will lead you will be bumpy, even treacherous, but the faith that his path for you is better than any path you could create is the key.

The first step is always the hardest - the trusting without seeing. But if we only trust what we can see, our faith in Jesus is no different than the many who deserted him when his teaching challenged them.

Having faith is a choice. And stepping out in that faith - trusting Jesus - is even a harder choice. But ultimately the choice is yours.

Will you be a disciple - - or will you be a sycophant?

Scripture

John 6:60-70

Quote of the Day

"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step."

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Question of the Day

When do you have a hard time believing Jesus and his teaching?

John 6:25-59 Bread of Life

For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven^(N) and gives life to the world.”

John 6:33

I love bread.

I love to eat it. I love to make it. I love the smell of it baking.

Bread - whether in a basket on a table in a restaurant or in a case at supermarket or in a bag at my house - always makes we want to eat it. I truly hunger for bread - even when I am not hungry at all.

When I think about Jesus using bread as an analogy for the mission God had sent him to complete, it makes perfect sense to me.

Bread was - and still is today - a staple for most meals served in most homes around the world.

Bread is a basic building block for how we live our lives.

Bread provides nourishment and energy.

Bread is relatable.

Jesus was offering us all of these things and so much more in his sacrifice on our behalves.

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes  in me will never be thirsty.  But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All those the Father gives mewill come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.  For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.⁽And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

John 6: 35-40

Jesus wasn't simply offering us bread - made of flour, water, yeast and salt - he was offering life - his life.

When we eat bread, we are energized, but only for a short while.

When we take in and know - truly feast on the Bread of Life Jesus - we are never hungry - except for the hunger to know him more.

Jesus was offering his followers the opportunity of eternal life and he used the simple image of bread to try and help explain the tremendous gift to his people.

Some believed and were drawn to him. Some couldn't understand his message and turned away.

Today - 2,000+ years later the same holds true.

Some believe Jesus and accept his offer of life giving bread, while others cannot accept the most amazing gift every offered because it seems too simple - eternal life without doing anything but accepting the gift.

So the question for you and for me today is - will you go hungryor will you feast on the Bread of Life and never hunger again?

Scripture

John 6:25-59

 Quote of the Day
“The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.”

 Mother Teresa

Question of the Day

When have you shared the Bread of Life this week? 

John 6:16-24 - Being Okay in the Fear

...they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened.

John 6:19b 

When was the last time you were afraid? Really, really frightened?

I'll admit that sometimes when I watch certain TV shows I am thankful my sister talked me into getting DVR so I can fast-forward until that moment of frightful tension has passed. I hate being scared or feeling out of control - but ultimately, doesn't true faith have a little fear tagging along with it?

Stepping out in faith, much like the disciples did, takes an enormous amount of trust and willingness to be the passenger instead of the driver. Truly being obedient in Christ means that we can't see what the future holds but we trust that the promises we have in Jesus are worth taking the step.

When I read this passage of scripture I can see the disciples, sailing off into the middle of the Sea (or rather super big lake) of Galilee chatting away. Maybe they were talking about their wives and girlfriends who were back at home. Maybe they were discussing Jesus and how they really didn't understand everything they were seeing. Maybe they were talking about the weather. Regardless of their discussion, I believe they were relaxed doing what they had done since they were children - fishing. Even as the storm approached, they knew how to handle it. They had been in storms their whole lives.

 And then, like some scary movie, they look out into the distance and see someone walking toward them on the water.

I imagine they would have rubbed their eyes a bit - maybe even cried out to God to be rescued - but then they see that it is Jesus. Jesus - this man - this teacher - whom they have chosen to follow is doing the impossible. He is walking on water - in the middle of a storm. I don't know about you but I would have been pretty afraid. If I am truly honest, even though I know all about Jesus, his miracles, his death and resurrection, even though I know all about him, I think I would still be pretty afraid if I saw him walking on the water toward me.

But here is the amazing thing. The disciples - who were rightly afraid - let him into the boat as soon as he said, "It is I. Don't be afraid." (John 6:20)

How often do we not hear Jesus when he says, "I am with you. Do not be afraid."? Too often our human minds take over and we want to control, fix and twist the situation to what we think it should be instead of allowing God to be in control. I am guilty of this more often then I care to acknowledge. But when I do step back - when I do allow that fear to be quieted because I know Jesus is in control - the result is often more than I could have ever wished or hoped for.

God does want to allay our fears. He doesn't want us to be afraid. But in our humanness we need to be okay with just a little fear - because it is that twinge of fear - that desire to fast forward on the DVR - that let's us know that we are not in control but God is.

 

Scripture

John 6:16-24

Quote of the Day
“The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly alive.”

Thich Nhat Hanh, Monk