Day 41: He/She That is Without Sin

John 8: 3-11

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.  Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”  This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”  And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”  She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

Many of us have heard this story before, and some of us know it very well. If this is your first time hearing or reading this story allow me to explain. A woman is caught in the act of adultery, and according to the law of Moses she is to be stoned. The Pharisees bring the woman to Jesus to see what He will do, testing Him. Jesus says to them, if you have no sin within you cast the first stone, one by one they each drop the stone. Jesus turns to the woman and doesn’t condemn her but forgives her and tells her not to sin anymore.

Now that everyone is caught up. There are two points I want to make today. We often read this scripture and make ourselves the woman in situation, we make ourselves the victim, and many times we are; but how many times have we been the Pharisee? We are often condemned for our sin, but how often do we point out the sins of others without realizing our sin is just as great as theirs? Many times we have been Pharisees without knowing it.

When I first became a Christian I went through a “I’m perfect” phase, and felt that because Christ had saved me that I could go and point out the sins of others. I was quick to point out the sinful lives others were leading without paying attention to my own life because I was no longer a sinner, I had become a Christian. I was never going to sin again, or at least I thought. I cannot explain how wrong I was. Until God showed me that if it wasn’t for His grace and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ I would hanging from my sinful life and nature as if it were a noose.

-Dyamond

Jesus’ response in this passage is the best, because it’s simple and quite striking. The men that brought her to Jesus were leaders in the community, teachers, they studied the law of Moses, and in their eyes they were doing what was right. Jesus gives the the perfect ultimatum, throw the rock if you are sinless, if not, drop it. They all knew that they were just as much a sinner as this woman was. No one could throw the rock but Jesus who was truly without sin.

• We cannot condemn someone else for their sin when we still have sin brewing within us. Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? (Mark 7:5)
• Sometimes we think that our sin is not as bad as the next person. But you cannot judge an adulterer is you’re a thief , You cannot judge a liar if you are a cheater. Sure we may not sin in the same way or as openly as others but we still sin. That alone is enough to keep us from judging and condemning others. Unless I can say that I am completely without sin, I better put that rock down or stand in line after I throw it.
• I commend the honesty in the men in this passage. I mean they could have denied their own sin and continued to condemn this woman, but Jesus made them take a look at themselves before they worried about the fate of this adulterous woman. He does the same to us today, makes us take a look at ourselves, make sure we are good. We have to look at our lives before we try to judge the lives of others. Because I’m pretty sure that if the tables were turned, people would find something to stone us for as well.
  
  

Many of us, especially us young people have come in contact with someone, who has pointed out our sin and condemned us to hell faster than they could pronounce our full name. We have all been there at some point in our walk with Christ. Whether it’s been a fellow Christian, a pastor, an elder, or a church mother. We have been in the woman’s position where someone decided to expose us for our sin, and in the presence of others. I get how this can be discouraging, it feels terrible, as if we don’t already feel bad enough, we have to be berated and humiliated. That isn’t like Christ. Jesus never humiliated anyone, He never called anyone by their sin. He forgave and loved them. We can find comfort in knowing that. Jesus was the only one who could cast that stone, as He was the only one without sin, completely perfect. But he doesn’t throw it, instead He asks her, “where are they, who is left to condemn you?” when she responds ‘no one Lord’, he says, “NEITHER DO IT”. Jesus, the only one who could condemn her, and it would be justified, chooses not to. The one without sin, chooses to forgive. He forgave her,  and all He asks was that ‘sin no more’.  Yesterday we talked about not condemning ourselves. Today I will say, if Jesus Himself chooses not to condemn us, no 

one else has the right to.

Reflection

1. Reread the passage above, when have you identified with the woman in this story?
2. When have you identified with the Pharisees in this story?
3. When have you done what Jesus did, and how can we become more like Christ, especially when we are placed in situations where we unconsciously and consciously judge our brothers and sisters?  
   
   

Prayer Time

Allow your answers to the question above lead your prayer today. Pray that God takes any judgement out of your heart and replaces it with love. As you pray. Keep those who are condemned daily lifted up. Pray for those who are constantly outcast because of their sin, or because of a certain sin that has become unacceptable in the church. Take this time to lift up those in the LGBT community, as the church has seemed to shun this group of people the most.. Even if we do not agree, it is still our duty to pray for them. Lift up every community that has been outcast in prayer.

Have an awesome day! I love you, share this with someone and make sure you come back tomorrow for Day 42!