Over ten years ago, I was heading home and I was speeding. (Yes, we have established multiple times now that I’m a lawbreaker) The police officer that pulled me over was about my age and he asked me why I was pulled over. I admitted that yes I was speeding and I smiled real big. He said he thought I looked familiar and I asked him if he had attended my local church. I led worship and occasionally people would recognize me that I would not know due to the size of the church. The cop said “no way I would be struck by lightning if I ever entered the doors of a church.” I pointed out that I was definitely not a perfect person and great proof was the fact I was speeding just then. He laughed and so I invited him to come check out my church. He gave me a warning and I slowed down. Did he ever come to church? I have no idea. But maybe just maybe I planted a seed of curiosity about this Jesus guy who wouldn’t strike him down if he walked in the doors of a church.
Let’s pick back up in John 8:1-11. For some reason I was thinking of this story today and how it relates to the cop I talked to. Jesus is sitting down in the temple courts ready to teach those that gathered around Him when the teachers of the law and the Pharisees bring in a woman caught in the act of adultery. They make her stand before the group and say that the law says they should stone her. What does Jesus do? He starts writing on the ground with his finger. When they questioned him He says “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then He went back to writing. Slowly they all left and it was Jesus and the woman remaining. And Jesus said this “Then neither do I condemn you, Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Several things stood out to me in this story. I have this statement written in my Bible “Don’t be the cop be the paramedic.” Jesus was more concerned for the victim then for the laws she broke. He was extending grace to her. That is the whole point of grace. It isn’t earned or deserved. We deserve a penalty but Jesus took all of our punishment upon Him on the cross.
Second thing that stood out to me is that we are quick to point out others faults but not our own. These teachers of the law and Pharisees couldn’t condemn this woman because they had their own sin. The only person who could have condemned her is Jesus and he says “Neither do I condemn you.”
Lastly, I am struck by Jesus’ last statement “Go now and leave your life of sin.” He doesn’t condemn her but he does say stop going down the wrong path. Their is a cost in following Jesus. We must stop sinning.
What are you learning today? What can you apply to your life?
101 Days to a Revolution 