All Saints Lutheran Church
Pastor Raita Neely
Healing Service John 8 and Mark 10
June 8, 2003

We have all seen them, the ads for weight loss, or for body building with accompanying pictures of before and after. Lately we have been inundated with TV shows of makeovers, even the extreme makeover. The more extreme the change, the better the audience and the persons involved seem to like it. I have never watched any of the shows in their entirety, but even from the adds we have to agree that some of the changes truly are remarkable, you can hardly tell that you are looking at the same person as before. We wonder, how did the change affect their lives? Did the people change on the inside as well as on the outside?

Our scripture for this morning gives us a couple of snapshots of before and after. Think about how you might paint before and after pictures of the woman in John 8? Maybe the before picture would show a large group of people sitting around Jesus, but your eyes would be drawn off to the side where a group of angry men with large stones in their hands are dragging a frightened woman toward Jesus. We might entitle the painting -"Caught".

The after picture might show Jesus, with the same woman. Her head is bowed, as she looks in amazement at all the stones lying harmlessly at her feet. We might entitle this painting - "Free".

Jesus diffused a volatile situation. With the words, "Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her" he created a classic double bind. On the one hand, he gave the scribes and Pharisees permission to stone the woman. After all, according to the law of Moses, such a penalty was permitted. But Jesus suggested that they were free to administer such justice only if they themselves were without sin. That was the hook that caught the Pharisees up short and silenced their proud, judgmental spirit.

But right along with Jesus' pointed challenge to the scribes and the Pharisees is his challenge to the woman. Jesus saved her from the stoning not to gloss over her sin, but that he might set her free. His charge to her is clear and commanding: "Go your way, and from now on do not sin again." Jesus didn't come to minimize the reality of sin, rather he came to free people from its power.

Forgiveness of that magnitude has transforming power, it has healing power. It doesn't make light of one's offense. In fact, such forgiveness is remarkable precisely because it recognizes the gravity of one's offense. But when the burden of one's guilt is met by so lavish a grace, it sets the sinner free to make a fresh start. From Jesus' word of grace "Neither do I condemn you" - spring the words of new life, "Go and sin no more." That was the brand of forgiveness Jesus both taught and embodied. Nonetheless, once given her freedom, the woman must value it enough to safeguard the gift. Jesus never required a background check before he helped someone. But after pronouncing forgiveness, the gift of freedom must not be abused again.

You see, Jesus is the place where God's truth and God's grace meet and healing happens. If you have ever been "caught" or "freed" you know how this work. You know that you can go to Jesus whether you are mired in self-righteousness or self - condemnation. In the light of his love and forgiveness, new life can be yours.

Before and after, what a difference it makes! Blind Bartimaeus could tell you.
Before, we see him sitting in the dirt outside the gates of Jericho. His cloak is spread out before him, to catch the occasional coin tossed his way. People pass by him quickly for he might contaminate them. No wonder he cries out to Jesus - "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Bartimaeus has lived a lonely, bare bones existence. He has nothing to loose by using the only power he has - his voice, his sight is useless. No wonder he has the courage to cry out a second time "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Jesus commends Bartimaeus' faith, and restores his sight. What are we to think of this. Maybe faith came easier to people who'd never experienced the benefits of antibiotics or known they were covered by disability insurance. But desperation is the true country of faith, the place where all the props have been knocked out from under us. And though we train ourselves to think it's a land we'll never visit, any day now we might find ourselves wandering where nothing looks like the scenario we expected or planned for. Any number of circumstances can catapult us into that dark region - divorce, bankruptcy, betrayal. But the most common one is illness.

Then we may go looking for Jesus, crying out to hear his voice, as desperate as Bartimaeus. And Jesus may ask the same question he asked Bartimaeus, "What do you want me to do for you?" Your answer may depend on both your desire and your desperation.

After receiving sight, Bartimaeus is free to follow his eyesight anywhere, but he has only one desire, to be with Jesus, and so he follows Jesus to Jerusalem. He leaves behind the only thing that provided him any protection at all, his old ragged cloak, which served him as a blanket by night, and which collected the coins by day. Bartimaeus perceives a love that gives and in the act of giving makes no demand yet mysteriously compels a freely given response. Jesus told Bartimaeus to go. But he does not go, he followed Jesus on the way. And this way is much more than a spatial locating of Bartimaeus. He is with Jesus in the life way of the cross. It is not just his feet that are moving. His heart, mind and will are with Jesus in the service of a new kind of kingdom. Bartimaeus has started on the life of discipleship.

Bartimaeus is you and I in our darkness and even in our self despair. He is you and I as disciples who sometimes let our vision be taken captive by the culture of wealth and power around us and confuse glamour with glory. The world can distort our vision. Like people who have been wearing the same pair of eyeglasses for the past 25 years, we may have gone out of focus and not even known it. We begin to enjoy our own importance, or we protect ourselves from criticism, or we start believing we have seen it all and know it all. Whatever the case, our vision for life can grow accustomed to all kinds of distortions. Maybe we compromise ideals we once held dearly. Or we defend our tired opinions from any act of God. Or one day we wake up to discover we have become content to live without any dreams. But listen, a man has passed our way. A light has penetrated our darkness. A love has come to seek us out and open our eyes to an alternate style of living that not only heals us, but at the same time heals our neighbor as well. We are all invited to live in a new kingdom whose priorities and values are fashioned by a crucified and risen Lord.

"What do you want?" asked Jesus. We could ask for more prestige, a greater impact, or a sense of power. But with the eyes of faith, maybe your response is different. Maybe your plea to Jesus is, "Lord heal me by letting me see you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more closely." Amen.All Saints Lutheran Church Pastor Raita Neely Healing Service John 8 and Mark 10 June 8, 2003

We have all seen them, the ads for weight loss, or for body building with accompanying pictures of before and after. Lately we have been inundated with TV shows of makeovers, even the extreme makeover. The more extreme the change, the better the audience and the persons involved seem to like it. I have never watched any of the shows in their entirety, but even from the adds we have to agree that some of the changes truly are remarkable, you can hardly tell that you are looking at the same person as before. We wonder, how did the change affect their lives? Did the people change on the inside as well as on the outside?

Our scripture for this morning gives us a couple of snapshots of before and after. Think about how you might paint before and after pictures of the woman in John 8? Maybe the before picture would show a large group of people sitting around Jesus, but your eyes would be drawn off to the side where a group of angry men with large stones in their hands are dragging a frightened woman toward Jesus. We might entitle the painting -"Caught".

The after picture might show Jesus, with the same woman. Her head is bowed, as she looks in amazement at all the stones lying harmlessly at her feet. We might entitle this painting - "Free".

Jesus diffused a volatile situation. With the words, "Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her" he created a classic double bind. On the one hand, he gave the scribes and Pharisees permission to stone the woman. After all, according to the law of Moses, such a penalty was permitted. But Jesus suggested that they were free to administer such justice only if they themselves were without sin. That was the hook that caught the Pharisees up short and silenced their proud, judgmental spirit.

But right along with Jesus' pointed challenge to the scribes and the Pharisees is his challenge to the woman. Jesus saved her from the stoning not to gloss over her sin, but that he might set her free. His charge to her is clear and commanding: "Go your way, and from now on do not sin again." Jesus didn't come to minimize the reality of sin, rather he came to free people from its power.

Forgiveness of that magnitude has transforming power, it has healing power. It doesn't make light of one's offense. In fact, such forgiveness is remarkable precisely because it recognizes the gravity of one's offense. But when the burden of one's guilt is met by so lavish a grace, it sets the sinner free to make a fresh start. From Jesus' word of grace "Neither do I condemn you" - spring the words of new life, "Go and sin no more." That was the brand of forgiveness Jesus both taught and embodied. Nonetheless, once given her freedom, the woman must value it enough to safeguard the gift. Jesus never required a background check before he helped someone. But after pronouncing forgiveness, the gift of freedom must not be abused again.

You see, Jesus is the place where God's truth and God's grace meet and healing happens. If you have ever been "caught" or "freed" you know how this work. You know that you can go to Jesus whether you are mired in self-righteousness or self - condemnation. In the light of his love and forgiveness, new life can be yours.

Before and after, what a difference it makes! Blind Bartimaeus could tell you.
Before, we see him sitting in the dirt outside the gates of Jericho. His cloak is spread out before him, to catch the occasional coin tossed his way. People pass by him quickly for he might contaminate them. No wonder he cries out to Jesus - "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Bartimaeus has lived a lonely, bare bones existence. He has nothing to loose by using the only power he has - his voice, his sight is useless. No wonder he has the courage to cry out a second time "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Jesus commends Bartimaeus' faith, and restores his sight. What are we to think of this. Maybe faith came easier to people who'd never experienced the benefits of antibiotics or known they were covered by disability insurance. But desperation is the true country of faith, the place where all the props have been knocked out from under us. And though we train ourselves to think it's a land we'll never visit, any day now we might find ourselves wandering where nothing looks like the scenario we expected or planned for. Any number of circumstances can catapult us into that dark region - divorce, bankruptcy, betrayal. But the most common one is illness.

Then we may go looking for Jesus, crying out to hear his voice, as desperate as Bartimaeus. And Jesus may ask the same question he asked Bartimaeus, "What do you want me to do for you?" Your answer may depend on both your desire and your desperation.

After receiving sight, Bartimaeus is free to follow his eyesight anywhere, but he has only one desire, to be with Jesus, and so he follows Jesus to Jerusalem. He leaves behind the only thing that provided him any protection at all, his old ragged cloak, which served him as a blanket by night, and which collected the coins by day. Bartimaeus perceives a love that gives and in the act of giving makes no demand yet mysteriously compels a freely given response. Jesus told Bartimaeus to go. But he does not go, he followed Jesus on the way. And this way is much more than a spatial locating of Bartimaeus. He is with Jesus in the life way of the cross. It is not just his feet that are moving. His heart, mind and will are with Jesus in the service of a new kind of kingdom. Bartimaeus has started on the life of discipleship.

Bartimaeus is you and I in our darkness and even in our self despair. He is you and I as disciples who sometimes let our vision be taken captive by the culture of wealth and power around us and confuse glamour with glory. The world can distort our vision. Like people who have been wearing the same pair of eyeglasses for the past 25 years, we may have gone out of focus and not even known it. We begin to enjoy our own importance, or we protect ourselves from criticism, or we start believing we have seen it all and know it all. Whatever the case, our vision for life can grow accustomed to all kinds of distortions. Maybe we compromise ideals we once held dearly. Or we defend our tired opinions from any act of God. Or one day we wake up to discover we have become content to live without any dreams. But listen, a man has passed our way. A light has penetrated our darkness. A love has come to seek us out and open our eyes to an alternate style of living that not only heals us, but at the same time heals our neighbor as well. We are all invited to live in a new kingdom whose priorities and values are fashioned by a crucified and risen Lord.

"What do you want?" asked Jesus. We could ask for more prestige, a greater impact, or a sense of power. But with the eyes of faith, maybe your response is different. Maybe your plea to Jesus is, "Lord heal me by letting me see you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more closely." Amen.All Saints Lutheran Church Pastor Raita Neely Healing Service John 8 and Mark 10 June 8, 2003

We have all seen them, the ads for weight loss, or for body building with accompanying pictures of before and after. Lately we have been inundated with TV shows of makeovers, even the extreme makeover. The more extreme the change, the better the audience and the persons involved seem to like it. I have never watched any of the shows in their entirety, but even from the adds we have to agree that some of the changes truly are remarkable, you can hardly tell that you are looking at the same person as before. We wonder, how did the change affect their lives? Did the people change on the inside as well as on the outside?

Our scripture for this morning gives us a couple of snapshots of before and after. Think about how you might paint before and after pictures of the woman in John 8? Maybe the before picture would show a large group of people sitting around Jesus, but your eyes would be drawn off to the side where a group of angry men with large stones in their hands are dragging a frightened woman toward Jesus. We might entitle the painting -"Caught".

The after picture might show Jesus, with the same woman. Her head is bowed, as she looks in amazement at all the stones lying harmlessly at her feet. We might entitle this painting - "Free".

Jesus diffused a volatile situation. With the words, "Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her" he created a classic double bind. On the one hand, he gave the scribes and Pharisees permission to stone the woman. After all, according to the law of Moses, such a penalty was permitted. But Jesus suggested that they were free to administer such justice only if they themselves were without sin. That was the hook that caught the Pharisees up short and silenced their proud, judgmental spirit.

But right along with Jesus' pointed challenge to the scribes and the Pharisees is his challenge to the woman. Jesus saved her from the stoning not to gloss over her sin, but that he might set her free. His charge to her is clear and commanding: "Go your way, and from now on do not sin again." Jesus didn't come to minimize the reality of sin, rather he came to free people from its power.

Forgiveness of that magnitude has transforming power, it has healing power. It doesn't make light of one's offense. In fact, such forgiveness is remarkable precisely because it recognizes the gravity of one's offense. But when the burden of one's guilt is met by so lavish a grace, it sets the sinner free to make a fresh start. From Jesus' word of grace "Neither do I condemn you" - spring the words of new life, "Go and sin no more." That was the brand of forgiveness Jesus both taught and embodied. Nonetheless, once given her freedom, the woman must value it enough to safeguard the gift. Jesus never required a background check before he helped someone. But after pronouncing forgiveness, the gift of freedom must not be abused again.

You see, Jesus is the place where God's truth and God's grace meet and healing happens. If you have ever been "caught" or "freed" you know how this work. You know that you can go to Jesus whether you are mired in self-righteousness or self - condemnation. In the light of his love and forgiveness, new life can be yours.

Before and after, what a difference it makes! Blind Bartimaeus could tell you.
Before, we see him sitting in the dirt outside the gates of Jericho. His cloak is spread out before him, to catch the occasional coin tossed his way. People pass by him quickly for he might contaminate them. No wonder he cries out to Jesus - "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Bartimaeus has lived a lonely, bare bones existence. He has nothing to loose by using the only power he has - his voice, his sight is useless. No wonder he has the courage to cry out a second time "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Jesus commends Bartimaeus' faith, and restores his sight. What are we to think of this. Maybe faith came easier to people who'd never experienced the benefits of antibiotics or known they were covered by disability insurance. But desperation is the true country of faith, the place where all the props have been knocked out from under us. And though we train ourselves to think it's a land we'll never visit, any day now we might find ourselves wandering where nothing looks like the scenario we expected or planned for. Any number of circumstances can catapult us into that dark region - divorce, bankruptcy, betrayal. But the most common one is illness.

Then we may go looking for Jesus, crying out to hear his voice, as desperate as Bartimaeus. And Jesus may ask the same question he asked Bartimaeus, "What do you want me to do for you?" Your answer may depend on both your desire and your desperation.

After receiving sight, Bartimaeus is free to follow his eyesight anywhere, but he has only one desire, to be with Jesus, and so he follows Jesus to Jerusalem. He leaves behind the only thing that provided him any protection at all, his old ragged cloak, which served him as a blanket by night, and which collected the coins by day. Bartimaeus perceives a love that gives and in the act of giving makes no demand yet mysteriously compels a freely given response. Jesus told Bartimaeus to go. But he does not go, he followed Jesus on the way. And this way is much more than a spatial locating of Bartimaeus. He is with Jesus in the life way of the cross. It is not just his feet that are moving. His heart, mind and will are with Jesus in the service of a new kind of kingdom. Bartimaeus has started on the life of discipleship.

Bartimaeus is you and I in our darkness and even in our self despair. He is you and I as disciples who sometimes let our vision be taken captive by the culture of wealth and power around us and confuse glamour with glory. The world can distort our vision. Like people who have been wearing the same pair of eyeglasses for the past 25 years, we may have gone out of focus and not even known it. We begin to enjoy our own importance, or we protect ourselves from criticism, or we start believing we have seen it all and know it all. Whatever the case, our vision for life can grow accustomed to all kinds of distortions. Maybe we compromise ideals we once held dearly. Or we defend our tired opinions from any act of God. Or one day we wake up to discover we have become content to live without any dreams. But listen, a man has passed our way. A light has penetrated our darkness. A love has come to seek us out and open our eyes to an alternate style of living that not only heals us, but at the same time heals our neighbor as well. We are all invited to live in a new kingdom whose priorities and values are fashioned by a crucified and risen Lord.

"What do you want?" asked Jesus. We could ask for more prestige, a greater impact, or a sense of power. But with the eyes of faith, maybe your response is different. Maybe your plea to Jesus is, "Lord heal me by letting me see you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more closely." Amen.All Saints Lutheran Church Pastor Raita Neely Healing Service John 8 and Mark 10 June 8, 2003

We have all seen them, the ads for weight loss, or for body building with accompanying pictures of before and after. Lately we have been inundated with TV shows of makeovers, even the extreme makeover. The more extreme the change, the better the audience and the persons involved seem to like it. I have never watched any of the shows in their entirety, but even from the adds we have to agree that some of the changes truly are remarkable, you can hardly tell that you are looking at the same person as before. We wonder, how did the change affect their lives? Did the people change on the inside as well as on the outside?

Our scripture for this morning gives us a couple of snapshots of before and after. Think about how you might paint before and after pictures of the woman in John 8? Maybe the before picture would show a large group of people sitting around Jesus, but your eyes would be drawn off to the side where a group of angry men with large stones in their hands are dragging a frightened woman toward Jesus. We might entitle the painting -"Caught".

The after picture might show Jesus, with the same woman. Her head is bowed, as she looks in amazement at all the stones lying harmlessly at her feet. We might entitle this painting - "Free".

Jesus diffused a volatile situation. With the words, "Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her" he created a classic double bind. On the one hand, he gave the scribes and Pharisees permission to stone the woman. After all, according to the law of Moses, such a penalty was permitted. But Jesus suggested that they were free to administer such justice only if they themselves were without sin. That was the hook that caught the Pharisees up short and silenced their proud, judgmental spirit.

But right along with Jesus' pointed challenge to the scribes and the Pharisees is his challenge to the woman. Jesus saved her from the stoning not to gloss over her sin, but that he might set her free. His charge to her is clear and commanding: "Go your way, and from now on do not sin again." Jesus didn't come to minimize the reality of sin, rather he came to free people from its power.

Forgiveness of that magnitude has transforming power, it has healing power. It doesn't make light of one's offense. In fact, such forgiveness is remarkable precisely because it recognizes the gravity of one's offense. But when the burden of one's guilt is met by so lavish a grace, it sets the sinner free to make a fresh start. From Jesus' word of grace "Neither do I condemn you" - spring the words of new life, "Go and sin no more." That was the brand of forgiveness Jesus both taught and embodied. Nonetheless, once given her freedom, the woman must value it enough to safeguard the gift. Jesus never required a background check before he helped someone. But after pronouncing forgiveness, the gift of freedom must not be abused again.

You see, Jesus is the place where God's truth and God's grace meet and healing happens. If you have ever been "caught" or "freed" you know how this work. You know that you can go to Jesus whether you are mired in self-righteousness or self - condemnation. In the light of his love and forgiveness, new life can be yours.

Before and after, what a difference it makes! Blind Bartimaeus could tell you.
Before, we see him sitting in the dirt outside the gates of Jericho. His cloak is spread out before him, to catch the occasional coin tossed his way. People pass by him quickly for he might contaminate them. No wonder he cries out to Jesus - "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Bartimaeus has lived a lonely, bare bones existence. He has nothing to loose by using the only power he has - his voice, his sight is useless. No wonder he has the courage to cry out a second time "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Jesus commends Bartimaeus' faith, and restores his sight. What are we to think of this. Maybe faith came easier to people who'd never experienced the benefits of antibiotics or known they were covered by disability insurance. But desperation is the true country of faith, the place where all the props have been knocked out from under us. And though we train ourselves to think it's a land we'll never visit, any day now we might find ourselves wandering where nothing looks like the scenario we expected or planned for. Any number of circumstances can catapult us into that dark region - divorce, bankruptcy, betrayal. But the most common one is illness.

Then we may go looking for Jesus, crying out to hear his voice, as desperate as Bartimaeus. And Jesus may ask the same question he asked Bartimaeus, "What do you want me to do for you?" Your answer may depend on both your desire and your desperation.

After receiving sight, Bartimaeus is free to follow his eyesight anywhere, but he has only one desire, to be with Jesus, and so he follows Jesus to Jerusalem. He leaves behind the only thing that provided him any protection at all, his old ragged cloak, which served him as a blanket by night, and which collected the coins by day. Bartimaeus perceives a love that gives and in the act of giving makes no demand yet mysteriously compels a freely given response. Jesus told Bartimaeus to go. But he does not go, he followed Jesus on the way. And this way is much more than a spatial locating of Bartimaeus. He is with Jesus in the life way of the cross. It is not just his feet that are moving. His heart, mind and will are with Jesus in the service of a new kind of kingdom. Bartimaeus has started on the life of discipleship.

Bartimaeus is you and I in our darkness and even in our self despair. He is you and I as disciples who sometimes let our vision be taken captive by the culture of wealth and power around us and confuse glamour with glory. The world can distort our vision. Like people who have been wearing the same pair of eyeglasses for the past 25 years, we may have gone out of focus and not even known it. We begin to enjoy our own importance, or we protect ourselves from criticism, or we start believing we have seen it all and know it all. Whatever the case, our vision for life can grow accustomed to all kinds of distortions. Maybe we compromise ideals we once held dearly. Or we defend our tired opinions from any act of God. Or one day we wake up to discover we have become content to live without any dreams. But listen, a man has passed our way. A light has penetrated our darkness. A love has come to seek us out and open our eyes to an alternate style of living that not only heals us, but at the same time heals our neighbor as well. We are all invited to live in a new kingdom whose priorities and values are fashioned by a crucified and risen Lord.

"What do you want?" asked Jesus. We could ask for more prestige, a greater impact, or a sense of power. But with the eyes of faith, maybe your response is different. Maybe your plea to Jesus is, "Lord heal me by letting me see you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more closely." Amen.June 8