September 7, 2016 — Words of Wisdom
Tom and Ray Magliozzi

“Not every problem has a solution”

“While Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.” John 8:1-11

One of my favorite shows to listen to over the weekend is Car Talk, which comes from the minds of the hosts Ray and Tom Magliozzi, or as many people know them “Click and Clack the Tappet Brothers”. It is always interesting to hear people call in to the show with a problem with their automobiles, or even their spouses, and have Tom and Ray diagnose the problem. I was listening one day to the show where a woman was explaining the problem she was having with her car. Not only was she puzzled about what to do, but the technicians trying to decipher what was wrong with her car didn’t know what to do. After a long discussion and the usual back and forth that was happening with Tom and Ray, one of them simply said “Not every problem has a solution.” It was profound, more profound than the person who said it probably realized.

The woman the Pharisees and Scribes brought to Jesus on this day certainly has a problem. She is being accused of adultery, and the Scribes and Pharisees want to know what Jesus thinks they should do with her. The Pharisees and other religious leaders think they know the solution to the problem – she deserves to be stoned to death. Jesus doesn’t reply initially, but he will eventually convince them that this situation does not have a simple solution – at least a solution the religious leaders would accept. You see, sometimes the solution to a problem…..is to do nothing, at first. Once all of the people have left Jesus and the woman, Jesus takes a different direction – one the woman would never have expected. Jesus says “I do not condemn you”. But he doesn’t stop there…he then says “do not sin again.”

It is clear that, though Jesus does not condemn the woman, his direction to her will most likely be a challenge. Changing our ways, especially when we have problems, is not always easy. And though in some circumstance there is no solution, there are many problems that we encounter where the solution will take a true transformation. Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world, as the Gospel writer John reminds us (John 3:17), Jesus came to save all. The solution Jesus gives us all is simple: Jesus asks for a response to the love, mercy and Grace of Jesus.

Pastor Dave