Snapshots
Biblical Truth
OF
Critical Spirit
BIBLE REFERENCES:
Luke 6:36, 37 (NIV) “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. And do not pass judgment and you will not be judged; and do not condemn and you shall not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.”
John 8:3-6a (NIV) “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’ They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.”
John 8:6b-11 (NIV) “But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one, sir,’ she said. ‘Then neither do I condemn you, ‘Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.’”
Romans 14:10 (NIV) “But you, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.”
APPLICATION:
The story found in Chapter 8 of the Book of John is about a woman caught in the act of adultery. The religious law required that such a person be stoned to death. Of course, the religious leaders were more than happy to oblige. After all, the woman broke one of their cardinal rules.
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The Scriptures don’t tell us anything about the guilty man. Apparently his role in the rule violation was irrelevant. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if the man didn’t stick around and become part of the self righteous group condemning the poor woman to her death.
The group brought the woman to Jesus, as a test. Jesus, being aware of their self righteous hypocrisy, blasted back: “Ok, you who are without sin, you cast the first stone!” Then, Jesus stooped down and began writing in the sand. As Jesus continued to write, one by one each accuser left the scene without saying a word.
Jesus looked at the woman and asked “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin”
The message to us is crystal clear. What gives you and I the right to go around condemning others for their sin when we have sin in our own lives that we have chosen to overlook? We need to be more concerned about cleaning up our own house.
SNAPSHOT:
A PRAYER:
“God help me to be less concerned with the mistakes and sins of others and more concerned with my own mistakes and failures. Help me to be more loving, more forgiving, more tolerant and more respectful toward others, just like Jesus.”
