I am fascinated by Jiu Jitsu…..

 

And I am even more fascinated by what the Gracie family did with it…..which is to give a person in a somewhat dangerous position a chance against a bigger, stronger, faster opponent…..even using a situation where the person using the Jiu Jitsu looks like he is in grave danger.

 

I think what drew me in was a guy named Royce Gracie….who seemed to be a hero for any underdog out there…..showing the world that you don’t need to be enormous and strong to be able to defend yourself……

 

But this is not about martial arts.

 

Or Royce Gracie.

 

It is about the greatest defeat of a bully we have ever known.

 

And we get a precursor for it in John.

 

John 7 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.  7 But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.  9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

11 “No one, sir,” she said.  “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

 

Sometimes the enemy has us cornered.  He calls us out and we are surrounded by men with stones waiting to “hold us accountable”.  And sometimes we need to stand up and defend ourselves…..

 

But other times….I think Jesus allows us to stand up and say:  “Yes…that’s me.  I blew it and I was not who God called me to be.”  In that act….we focus the credit of our salvation on the only One we have ever needed…..Jesus.

 

In our weakness, He is strong.

In our darkness, He brings hope.

In our lack of belief, He brings faith.

In our death, He brings resurrection.

 

And….

In our sin, He brings victory.

 

It wasn’t too long after this failed confrontation by the pharisees that Jesus settled it once and for all:

 

Colossians 2  13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

 

He didn’t just stand there passively as the enemy called you a thief and a liar and a failure and a loser.

 

He swung in from the balcony, kicked him in the head, and told him to never mess with you again……

 

And He did it at an incredible cost.

 

So drop the stones that may be the very things that are thrown at you…..and spend none of your time looking at the sinner—-and all of your time praising the One who can set the sinner free…..

 

In The Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

 

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Coach J