Jesus Sets Me Free, Collaged Painted Papers, Marcia Carole
As I finish up the collaged pages for a book I hope to bring to an art/faith/story workshop, I am illustrating the most grace-filled moment in the account. Jesus, with chords of kindness, sets the woman free from the enslavement of her idolotry of relationships with men. “Where are your accusers?”, He asks. They are all gone. Jesus has disarmed the bullies with His convicting words that pierce their hearts and cause them to drop their pride-filled rocks.
Then, amazingly and miraculously, Jesus says to the woman, “Neither do I condemn you.” He forgives her and releases her from condemnation and shame. She is no longer less than. She has a new place in life, a new beginning, a fresh start. All her accusers have walked away, and her Creator has spoken Not Guilty over her life. It’s like when all your credit cards are paid, all bills paid, the house paid for and absolutely no debt anywhere.
And why does He do this? What’s in it for Him? Well, maybe Jesus doesn’t think this way. Maybe He is not a “consumer” in relationships. He proves He promotes mutual respect, fidelity and love with humility in His relationships with others. This aught to be an interesting discussion with girls from the brothells in Thailand. They certainly are used to the consumer mentality being forced upon them while dreaming of a covenant relationship.
(Final page – see below. )
As Jesus heads to the cross, he secures a love relationship with all those who desire one with Him. Yes, somebody has to pay for our wrongs in God’s holy, perfect justice system. Jesus pays. He loves us that much. As we believe Jesus is who He says He is, and did what the Bible said He did – lived a perfect life, died and rose from the dead for all those trapped like the men and woman in this account, we get a brand new start(and heart) as well.
That includes all of us as we wrestle with our darkness of heart, idolotry, wrongs against womanhood, and addictions, seeing we need rescue. Jesus is the hero in this account and in each of our lives, including women. He gives us a deeply loving, covenant relationship with our Creator God. I happen to believe this now more than ever.
Restoration Through The Cross, Painted Papers Collage, Marcia Carole
