We Are All Caught in the Act

From morguefile.com

The guardians of religion said to Jesus, “Teacher, this person was caught in the act of homosexuality.  In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such people. Now what do you say?”  

What? That’s not what the Bible says?

Oh I see. I copied those verses wrong. I apologize.

“Teacher, this person was caught in the act of lying”.

What? Still incorrect? I’ll try again.

“Teacher, this person was caught in the act of not keeping the Sabbath.”

*Sigh* Well, you go ahead then. Insert your own sin.

What is it for you? Stealing? Adultery? Murder? Coveting? Misusing the name of the Lord? Dishonoring your parents? Boiling a goat in its mother’s milk?

….But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.

That’s not plural. It’s singular.

He didn’t point his first finger at her.

He didn’t flash his middle finger at them.

He didn’t give a thumbs up to anyone.

Whichever finger it was, He wrote with it.

When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at them.”  Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

He didn’t stand and stare them down. 

He didn’t pose with his nose in the air.  

He wasn’t commenting on a social media thread.

He stooped, below the level of their self-righteousness.

It was not what they expected, but it was effective.

 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the person still standing there.  Jesus straightened up and asked, “Where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

 “No one, sir.”

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Jesus doesn’t condemn the adulterer.

Or the homosexual.

Or the liar, the cheat, the thief, or the disobedient.

And He doesn’t condemn the condemners.

God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:17…which is the verse after John 3:16...)

The only One who could condemn them -- who could condemn US -- doesn’t.

Why do we?

And what can we do instead?

Love because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)