by The Rev. George F. Borghardt III
Why bother? She’s in jail, she’s out of jail, she’s back in the jail. She eats, she doesn’t eat. Does she have a rash? A twitch? Who really cares? Now she’s out and it’s like nothing happened! She’s right back to partying.
We all care. We should might as well confess it. We’ve all watched – whether because we want to mock it, are compelled rubber-neck gawk at it like a train-wreck, love-to-hate it, or simply can’t avoid it – we’ve all heard about it. We all know about it.
It’s sick. It’s twisted. Just about everyone wants to be like her, which fuels our jealousy into hated. Her behavior She is so unbelievably spoiled, don’t you just have to wish evil on her to balance things out? Doesn’t it just feel good that she finally got what was dueshe had coming her? She sure learned her lesson, didn’t she?
But, it really isn’t our place to judge, is it? We aren’t her parents. Nor are we her judge or jury. We aren’t given to make the call decide whether or not she is guilty – that’s what the courts are for. That’s what Caesar is for. That’s why he’s been given the sword and we haven’t.
“But, she’s so spoiled!” That’s not my call, not yours either. Don’t fall into more sin. We are given to tend to ourselves, to bear our own burdens, and to love those around us as ourselves. If someone is going to judge her, let it be Jesus.
They brought Him a woman caught in adultery. She was guilty as sin – caught right in the act!. They set her in His midst. “The Law of Moses says she this woman should be stoned. What do you say, Jesus?” (John 8:7)
“He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” Then He wrote in the ground. No one knows what He wrote. But, one by one, tThey dropped their stones. From the oldest to the youngest they all left. No more paparazzi, no more bloodthirsty mob, only sinners running from their own sins.
He could have judged her. He has the authority. Yet He doesn’t – not her, not me, and not you. He didn’t come to condemn the world, but came that the world – that you – would be saved through Him.
He did the opposite. He who could judge was, instead, judged in our place – the righteous for the unrighteous, the just for the sinners. For Parisher, for me, and especially for you.
“So, why watch then?” Good question. Stop. Change the channel. Go read a book. Do something else. Get your noses out of the lives of other people and tend to those in your life given you – Mom, Dad, brother, sister, wife, kids, children. Tend to their burdens and so fulfill the Law of Christ (Gal 6:2).
“When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, ‘”Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?’” She said, ‘”No one, Lord.’” And Jesus said to her, ‘”Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.’” ” (St. John 8:10)
The Reverend George F. Borghardt is the Assistant/Youth Pastor at St. Mark Lutheran Church and the Internet Services Executive for Higher Things Inc.
