Throw the first stone?
She is found guilty, literally in the act. Her sin is revealed to many and plainly presented by her accuser to the Judge. What does He do? He sends her away with a warning "Stop sinning!"
No avalance of rocks falls from the sky, no electric chair, no burning at the stake, no drowning ensues. Nothing. No physical punishment at all. The accuser is dismissed also. The stone he holds ready to throw, falls to the ground and he is once again silenced. Silenced by the Judge. The Judge writes "something" in the dirt. Something powerful enough to stop the attack. The punishment she has already recieved is enough in the Judge's opinion. She will live with the consequences of her actions for the rest of her life. He will pardon her but she will not forget. For that, her memory will serve as a reminder that she needs a Savior. Her Judge simply states "sin no more." And that she must do in order to recieve the blessings she has been promised, the blessings that exist only in the presence of Jesus himself. God and sin cannot inhabit the same place. Therefore, if there is sin your heart don't expect to find Christ there.
What do we learn from the Judge? We learn that He does not desire to see us living in sin, He does not desire to be separated from us and that He does not desire to see us receive the punishment we deserve. That woman, deserved to die. She had committed a sin worthy of execution. Really though, sin is sin and the price of which is death. (Romans 6:23) The death of something is necessary for us to be reconciled to God. That "something" my friends was Someone. His name is Jesus and He died that we might be reconciled to God. He took our place on the cross that our sins would be pardoned. Our sins and her sins and my sins, all sins - gone!
Our directive is "sin no more". We are responsible for that. We are responsible for guarding our hearts. Our memories of the pain we cause others in our sin, the reminders of our own tears and heartache force us to be mindful of or vulnerability but they should not cause guilt. Guilt is not of the Lord. Be aware of the battle for your soul. The accuser is out to get you. He wants you to feel guilty and will regularly remind you of your sin. Jesus has already resolved the issues at hand and you are free to go. Just watch out for the accuser, his goal is to trick and lie and separate you from your Redeemer. Jesus has his number though. I think that's what Jesus wrote in the dirt.
No avalance of rocks falls from the sky, no electric chair, no burning at the stake, no drowning ensues. Nothing. No physical punishment at all. The accuser is dismissed also. The stone he holds ready to throw, falls to the ground and he is once again silenced. Silenced by the Judge. The Judge writes "something" in the dirt. Something powerful enough to stop the attack. The punishment she has already recieved is enough in the Judge's opinion. She will live with the consequences of her actions for the rest of her life. He will pardon her but she will not forget. For that, her memory will serve as a reminder that she needs a Savior. Her Judge simply states "sin no more." And that she must do in order to recieve the blessings she has been promised, the blessings that exist only in the presence of Jesus himself. God and sin cannot inhabit the same place. Therefore, if there is sin your heart don't expect to find Christ there.
What do we learn from the Judge? We learn that He does not desire to see us living in sin, He does not desire to be separated from us and that He does not desire to see us receive the punishment we deserve. That woman, deserved to die. She had committed a sin worthy of execution. Really though, sin is sin and the price of which is death. (Romans 6:23) The death of something is necessary for us to be reconciled to God. That "something" my friends was Someone. His name is Jesus and He died that we might be reconciled to God. He took our place on the cross that our sins would be pardoned. Our sins and her sins and my sins, all sins - gone!
Our directive is "sin no more". We are responsible for that. We are responsible for guarding our hearts. Our memories of the pain we cause others in our sin, the reminders of our own tears and heartache force us to be mindful of or vulnerability but they should not cause guilt. Guilt is not of the Lord. Be aware of the battle for your soul. The accuser is out to get you. He wants you to feel guilty and will regularly remind you of your sin. Jesus has already resolved the issues at hand and you are free to go. Just watch out for the accuser, his goal is to trick and lie and separate you from your Redeemer. Jesus has his number though. I think that's what Jesus wrote in the dirt.
Comments