In the Gap

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is found in John 8:1-11. I know, I know… they all seem to be my favorite at one point or another. But this story hits this little girl’s heart like no other story I’ve read. No matter how you’ve been hurt, you can always count on God’s unmatchable grace. If you haven’t read the passage, take a moment to now. If you don’t have a Bible, there are several free online resources that I frequently use: Bible Gateway and Bible Hub.

This woman we read about in John 8 (I’ve written about her before in I’ve Stood There Too), she stood alone. This is mostly where I’m focusing today. Everyone in the vicinity was either pointing an accusatory finger at her, judging her, or ashamed of her. She had no advocate, no friend, and no comforter.

Or so she thought…

I’ve done my fair share of standing guilty-as-charged. If you’re honest with yourself, you probably have, too. This woman was caught in the act – there was no question about her guilt, but they wanted to know how Jesus was going to punish her.

I’ve also stood falsely accused. I’ve had the false accusations hurled at me and no one came to my defense or stood up for me.

Or so I thought…

I’m going to do some speculation here. This woman probably had some serious trust issues. Scripture doesn’t tell us that she defends herself and she doesn’t point a finger at the man she was caught with. It’s as though she knows it won’t make a difference. But I bet there was a longing for someone to stand up for her. Maybe she was past the point of hoping, but I think we can all agree that we all desire to have someone have our back in tough situations regardless of our guilt or innocence.

Trauma has layers, and every time I think I’ve pulled back the last one, another layer is there waiting for me, pulled loose by something only mildly related. As I was thinking about this post today, brought on by fresh waves from long-ago hurts, I recognized that I put too much weight on people. It’s not wrong to have expectations of the people who God has placed in your life, but you have to know that they will fail you at times… just like you fail them at times.

This woman who stood before Jesus and a crowd of accusers and onlookers had probably given up having any expectations of people other than being used and hurt by them. She was probably a very guarded person, keeping people at a distance. Maybe her sinful choices were born from being hurt. Perhaps something in her early years opened the door to the life she was living. We just don’t know, we can only speculate.

But I’m finding that I relate to her way too much. I see so much of myself in her brief story.

Of course, I love the speculation in John 8 about what Jesus might have written in the dirt while everyone around was shouting, demanding that Jesus declare the woman’s punishment. Maybe He was writing down the sins of the Pharisees. Maybe He was writing the name of the man she had been caught with.

But what if He wrote the first hurt that opened the door to the life she was living? What if Jesus was peeling back a layer in an effort to heal her?

I marvel at the details that are included in scripture – like the details in the chapters near the end of Exodus. They’re so very specific (and repetitive) and they seem so unnecessary. Where are those kinds of details in this woman’s story? Then again, maybe the lack of details allows us to all relate to her on some level.

At the end of her recorded encounter with Jesus, He asks where her accusers are – did any of them condemn her? Can you imagine standing there, alone in Jesus’ presence, waiting to hear His verdict? I find her answer so beautiful in its simplicity.

“No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” John 8:11 NLT

She called Him Lord. This is translated from the Greek word kurios (Strong’s G2962). It means master, owner, lord, supreme in authority, and sovereign authority. This title is expressive of honor and respect and reverence. It’s a title given to God, the Messiah (Blue Letter Bible Resource). 

She was guilty, yet He stood in the gap for her. While in this life, we’ll catch glimpses of this in action from other people, but God is the only One who will never fail us. He is the only One who will perfectly stand up for us, come to our rescue, and protect us.

Your parents will fall short, your spouse will let you down, your best friend will betray your trust. Even the church will have times of not measuring up to how God loves. But you will never be let down by the One who gave everything for the chance that you would choose Him and call Him Lord.

He stood, being mocked, ridiculed, and falsely accused in the midst of an even greater crowd than the woman in John 8. He had friends desert Him – and even deny Him. He knows what it’s like to have people close to Him let Him down. But He took it. He took the accusations, and He took the punishment that didn’t belong to Him.

He didn’t fail to stand in the gap for us then and He won’t fail us now. The woman in John 8 shows a picture of what it’s like to have Him in your corner. No matter who is accusing, you have passed from judgment – from death to life (John 5:24).

Yes, there are people who are, and have been, in my life that are in a called position to protect and defend… but like all people, they can – and will – fail at times. But I’m learning that I should never lean on them in place of leaning into Jesus. There are times that these protectors should speak or act, but instead they stay silent and still. But I also see the times that they’ve had every right to point an accusatory finger, but they didn’t.

Am I trying to express that the good outweighs the bad? The times they came through for me and stood in the gap means they get a pass on not doing the right thing? I really don’t know. But I’m recognizing that I’m going to have to choose to forgive. And forgive again. Over and over. Just like they do with me.

And maybe that’s one way that God is calling us to stand in the gap for others: to choose to forgive.