Readings, March 25, 2007

Isaiah
Chapter 43 16 Thus says the LORD, who opens a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters, 17 Who leads out chariots and horsemen, a powerful army, Till they lie prostrate together, never to rise, snuffed out and quenched like a wick. 18 1 Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; 19 See, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? In the desert I make a way, in the wasteland, rivers. 20 Wild beasts honor me, jackals and ostriches, For I put water in the desert and rivers in the wasteland for my chosen people to drink, 21 The people whom I formed for myself, that they might announce my praise.

Philippians
Chapter 3 8 More than that, I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having any righteousness of my own based on the law but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God, depending on faith 10 to know him and the power of his resurrection and (the) sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death, 11 if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 12 1 It is not that I have already taken hold of it or have already attained perfect maturity, 2 but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it, since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ (Jesus). 13 Brothers, I for my part do not consider myself to have taken possession. Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God's upward calling, in Christ Jesus.

John
Chapter 8 1 while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 1 2 But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. 4 They said to him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 5 Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. 2 So what do you say?" 6 They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. 3 7 4 But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." 8 Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. 10 Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 11 She replied, "No one, sir." Then Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go, (and) from now on do not sin any more."

Catholic Fundamentalist Interpretation:

The Programmer reminds us of earlier Programming operations, when He opened the sea, and utterly destroyed the chariots and horsemen of a powerful army.

"Forget that.", The Programmer said. "I am opening a New Program that makes a road through the desert, rivers in wastelands.

Wild beasts (unsaved men) honor me, both commoners and nobles, for I programmed a new kind of living water for my chosen people to drink, the people I programmed for myself, (as opposed to those programmed for the world) that they might announce my praise.

Everything programmed is a loss because the winning of The Program (Jesus, the perfect embodiment of The Program) makes everything else look like the meaningless, distracting trash it is. 

I want no goodness of my own based on the law, but that which comes from faith in The Programmer

To know Him, and the power of the Resurrection Program, I must share in His sufferings by conforming myself to death so I may be resurrected from the dead. I want it so badly that I still strive to have it. 

Forget your old programming attempts, look forward to being a part of the Perfect Program.

My goal is the reward of God's calling me toward Him, The Programmer, through his son, The Program. The Prize is moving closer to God.

Jesus arrived in the temple, and shared information about the new software that brought people closer to God. All the people started moving toward Him. 

Sellers of the Old Software, Scribes and Pharisees, made an adulteress stand in the middle of the crowd. 

They tried to get Jesus to do the old thing, and condemn her to death by stoning, a process they enjoyed controlling.

Would he confirm the Old Program they were selling? Would he demean or belittle the Old Program, opening himself up for a charge of Unfair Trade?

Finally, He stood up, and said that those who completely obeyed the Old Program, and were sinless, could begin the death-dealing process. Then, He went back to writing on the ground.

The oldest went away first. Their wisdom and experience made them the first to realize that none of them were perfect followers of the Old Program they wanted others to follow. Then, the others left.

Soon, just Christ and the woman were there. "No one has condemned you?", he asked. "No one, sir.", she replied, probably unable to believe her good fortune.

"I don't, either. Go, and from now on, don't separate yourself from The Programmer's operating instructions.