" THE SLEEPING HARLOT" AND JESUS

“THE SLEEPING HARLOT” and JESUS

BY DR. MERVYN ABREO

          She was one of the three harlots of the New Testament who was convicted and saved by the Lord Jesus Christ.

An important related Scripture:

Isaiah 55:11. ‘’ so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

It achieves conviction which leads to repentance and salvation.

Or it brings about rejection which leads to condemnation.

THE SLEEPING HARLOT:

           So named because she was caught sleeping (having sex) with a man. (John 8:3-11).

          Caught in adultery and brought to Jesus for His judgment.

          On one hand, as per His own Law as written in the Old Testament, He has to condemn her to be stoned to death! On the other hand, how could any sinner ever expect to find mercy and grace if He had rejected and condemned her? 

        

  If Solomon could have, so beautifully, solved the problem of the two prostitutes, fighting for the same child (1 Kings: 16-28), could we expect anything less from the Creator of Solomon?

          So Jesus bends down and writes with His finger on the ground. Why? The answer is found in the Book of Exodus (31:18): “When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.”

          The Ten Commandments convinces man (conviction/ condemnation) of his sinful state. As Jesus wrote on the ground He challenged them: “ If anyone of you is without sin let him be the first to throw a stone at her” and those who had accused the woman, began to go away one at a time, until only Jesus was left with the woman still standing there. 

          Then Jesus tells her, that since there is no one to condemn her, neither would He. (Because the Law came through Moses but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.)

          The Lord knows that, like her accusers, she too is convicted of sin. And so He sends her off but not before a warning: “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

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Dear friend,

          I look forward to getting your feedback. Do write in to me at:

                                        drmervynabreo@gmail.com

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