Quick to Judge

 

John 8.1-11

81while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. 3The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, 4they said to him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 5Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’ 6They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’ 8And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10Jesus straightened up and said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ 11She said, ‘No one, sir.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.

 

The crowd had their stones in hand as they brought the woman to Jesus.  They were ready to stone her to death.  She was a sinner and she was caught in the act of adultery.  (On as side note – I have always wondered if she was caught in the act, wasn’t there a man with her.  In this story, he seems to be missing.)

The crowd was more than ready to judge the sins of the woman, until Jesus stepped in asked them to consider themselves.  The one without sin was the first to throw the first stone.  The only one that lived without sin was there, but did not cast the stone.  Jesus was clear that we are to focus not on the sins of other, but on our own sin.  We need to be taking care of the places in our life that are not right, instead of judging others.

In a judgmental world, it is easy to slip into judging others.  There will be times when we find ourselves in the middle of judging someone.  When that happens, may we hear the words of Jesus talking us down and putting us in our place.

Jesus was offered the woman grace and mercy that day instead of judgment.  Jesus offers us the same grace and mercy for our sinfulness.  We are to acknowledge that grace and mercy, be thankful and pass it on that others may experience God’s transformation love living in us.

 

God bless,

Pastor Mandy