Seeking God on the Mountain (The Woman Caught In Adultery – Part 1 – John 7:53-8:11)

John 7:53 – “They went each to his own house, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.”

The measure of a man can be seen in what he does when no one else is around. It can also be seen in the way he spends his time compared to most people. When everyone else was going home, Jesus was going to the mountain to pray. I’m reminded of a quote from Longfellow which speaks to this:

“The heights by great men reached and kept
were not attained by sudden flight, but they,
while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.”

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Not only does Jesus stand out because of Who He was, but He stands out because of what He chose to do. This simple sentence starting off the story of the woman caught in adultery  can pass by without much notice , and it points towards the strength behind Jesus’ ministry. When others were at their homes sleeping or playing, He was on the mountain praying and meeting with the Father—while His companions slept, he was “toiling upward in the night.” It was this vital time on the mountain meeting with the Father that prepared Him to face the challenging circumstances that He met day after day, and also for this particular instance just around the corner with the adulteress woman.

Jesus had pressure upon Him. He often sacrificed what He might prefer to be doing in order to meet the needs of the people who were constantly asking for His attention. When He heard that John the Baptist was killed, He was sad and hurt and wanted to go away and be alone. When He tried to get away, He found a crowd of people begging to be healed. So He stayed with them and ministered to them. The enabling power to act in such a way is instilled upon the mountain with the Father. Each day He was faced with challenge after challenge from the religious leaders, questioning Him and testing Him. The power to endure and to stand up skillfully against the challenges was found on the mountain with the Father. Each day He was faced with followers who lacked faith and understanding. The power to love them and continue to give them grace and encouragement was found on the mountain with the Father. It’s in the quite place that we find the power to endure and stand victorious in the time of testing.

What are you doing when other people are asleep? I can promise you that the quality of life is greater when it’s empowered by spending time alone with God. We never know when the moment of testing or trial is going to come, and my hope for you is that when the story of your life is told, that right before the moment you face your greatest trial, you would be found to be “toiling upward in the night.”