One Team – One Fight
John 8:1-11
I have heard the story told of an All American kid named John who grew up in the mid-west in the 1940’s. He was popular among his friends and successful academically and athletically. During his High School years John was an all star athlete for his school and was later offered a scholarship to play for the state university. John was just and ordinary kid much like many of you. He had dreams for his future; dreams of a family, of college, of a job that he would enjoy and excel at.
But after graduation, Uncle Sam changed all that. You see, WWII was in full swing and our country needed John to join the ranks of Americas best. John was drafted, and after basic training he was assigned to an infantry battalion. John excelled as a soldier, much like he did in everything else he tried, quickly rising to the position of platoon Sgt.
During one particular battle, John found himself and the rest of his platoon pinned down by a sniper. One by one, men were getting picked off or wounded. If they were to stay were they were, they would surely all die. John weighed the options carefully before making a decision that would change his life forever.
John rose from his position and charged toward the sniper shooting his rifle as he ran. He felt a sharp pain in his leg and realized that he had been hit, but he did not stop firing. His persistence paid off and he was successful in killing the sniper, but his bravery would eventually cost him his leg.
In the eyes of his platoon, and in the eyes of his country, John was a hero. He was later awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions, but was also discharged from the Army due to his injuries. As he returned to his hometown, he was given a heroes welcome including a parade with much fanfare. Everyone was proud of him and he was congratulated everywhere he went.
But as time went on, reality set in. Where does a one legged man find work. For a while, everyone helped him out, but after a while, people forgot. John found himself poor and hungry and struggling for any kind of existence. One day while hobbling through town on his crutches, he smelled the aroma of fresh baked bread as it sat on a rack outside the bakery. He was hungry and the smell was causing his stomach to twitch in its need. He was drawn toward the bread desperate for something to eat. He knew it was wrong, but his hunger overpowered him and he grabbed a loaf of bread and ran as fast as a one legged man on crutches could possible run.
The police were called and they quickly apprehended the one time All-American athlete. He was arrested, taken to jail, and later before the county judge.
What happens in the life of a man that takes him from being an All-American athlete to being a thief?
What happens in the life of a person that takes him or her from being a person that dreams of a great future, to being a drug addict, an alcoholic, a divorcee, suicidal, jobless, a single parent, etc…
In the John 8:1-11, we hear about a woman who had been caught in an affair. We have to ask, “What happened in the life of this woman that she ended up in this adulteress relationship. Somehow, I don’t believe that when she was a little girl she dreamed about ending up in this situation. But yet, here she was. The Apostle John describes the situation here in chapter 8.
2 Early in the morning Jesus came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.
In the story of our soldier John, he too was brought before the judge, and the charges were stated. The judge knew John, and in fact had known him all his life. But he had no choice, John was guilty and everyone knew it. The judge pronounced the judgment and fined John fifteen dollars. He then stood from behind his desk, took off his robe and stepped out from behind the bench. He then took out his wallet and paid the fine for John. He then put his robe back on and turned to the courtroom. He then said, “Furthermore, I find everyone in this room guilty of for allowing this situation to happen, then he fined everyone a dollar. The judge held out his hat and waited. One by one the people filed forward and deposited their fines in the hat before turning to leave the courtroom. When the last person had passed, the judge turned to John and gave him the money.
How many of you have ever found yourselves in difficult circumstances?
Some of you are much like the woman caught in adultery; you feel the world closing in around you with no way out. This woman had been drug out into the street by a mob of angry men who were each holding stones in their hands for the purpose of putting her to death.
I call this behavior “the chicken mentality.” In a flock of chickens, if one of them is wounded or sick, the others will start pecking at it until it is dead. These men carrying stones where much like chickens. They found someone weak and intended to clean up their society by killing her.
Today, we often do much the same thing with people. We might not through stones anymore, but we whisper rumors and hurl insults instead.
What we often forget is that we are all in the same boat.
Jesus said in Romans 3:23 that
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
To the religious leaders of his day, Jesus said
27“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. 28In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. (Matthew 23:27, 28)
And so it is here in John 8 that these religious leaders continue to confront Jesus about this woman:
7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
Army life is hard. It has a way of getting to the best of us, but at the end of the day, we are one team. Recently, while I was at Fort Bliss, I heard the gate guard say, “One Team, One Fight.” I like that saying.
On a team there is no one person any more important than any other and a team is only as strong as its weakest link. We need each other.
Galatians 6:2 says, “Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way fulfill the law of Christ.”
Let us drop the stones, and instead begin to find ways to offer help.
For some of you, you are like that woman, or you arelike that soldier. You are facing difficult times in your life. This wasn’t your plan for your future, but here you are now. You don’t have to face your struggles alone. Let me offer you some hope!
Matthew 11:28-29
28“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
The good news this morning is that whether you are like the woman who’s life had fallen apart, or whether you are like the religions leaders who became hypocritical in their actions, GOD LOVES YOU!
We are preparing to go down range, and we will have to do it together. Let us begin by examining our lives before God and then entrusting them to Him for the good of our own futures, and for that of our team.
Great message! Thanks for sharing!
ditto what Michael D said