One day a group of very religious men, who no doubt thought themselves righteous, brought a known adulteress to Jesus. To enhance her guilt, they waited and caught her in the act. These men had no interest whatsoever in this woman or her problems. Their goal was to find fault with the way this friend of publicans and sinners would handle the situation.
The law of God called for her to be stoned for her sin. However, in that day, only the Roman administration could pronounce such a penalty. Would Jesus obey the Law of God or violate the law of Rome? Either choice was convenient for this woman’s accusers.
Jesus upheld the law of God and invited those without sin to cast the first stone. A short time later, Jesus and the woman stood alone. Jesus pardoned her with the admonition to, “sin no more.”
The focus of this story is most often directed at the self-righteousness of the accusers; the universality of sin and the pardon of Christ. All are applicable. However, consider for a moment one more thought from the story.
Whatever faults and sins the accusers possessed, they all had one very important virtue. They were able, if only for a moment, to see clearly into their own hearts and see the darkness there. People have an amazing capacity for self-deception, especially when it comes to motivation. We shrug and say, “no one's perfect,” as if there are no consequences to that somber fact.
It is never enough to acknowledge that sin is everywhere and that people give themselves to it. We must be aware of sin’s presence in the one place that matters most--our own heart. That is the only sin any of us can do something about.
The law of God called for her to be stoned for her sin. However, in that day, only the Roman administration could pronounce such a penalty. Would Jesus obey the Law of God or violate the law of Rome? Either choice was convenient for this woman’s accusers.
Jesus upheld the law of God and invited those without sin to cast the first stone. A short time later, Jesus and the woman stood alone. Jesus pardoned her with the admonition to, “sin no more.”
The focus of this story is most often directed at the self-righteousness of the accusers; the universality of sin and the pardon of Christ. All are applicable. However, consider for a moment one more thought from the story.
Whatever faults and sins the accusers possessed, they all had one very important virtue. They were able, if only for a moment, to see clearly into their own hearts and see the darkness there. People have an amazing capacity for self-deception, especially when it comes to motivation. We shrug and say, “no one's perfect,” as if there are no consequences to that somber fact.
It is never enough to acknowledge that sin is everywhere and that people give themselves to it. We must be aware of sin’s presence in the one place that matters most--our own heart. That is the only sin any of us can do something about.
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