“Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Jesus a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?’” (John 8:3-5 NKJV)
I can’t imagine how the adulterous woman felt when she was about to be stoned. All eyes were glued on her, accusing her; and the crowd was playing judge, jury, and executioner. She must have felt alone and hated. She didn’t need accusers; she needed help and forgiveness.
Jesus told the crowd, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7b NIV) All eyes shifted to Jesus when He spoke up. Jesus reminded the people that they too were sinners. Thank God for Jesus, who saved her, forgave her, and offered her a second chance. When we fail, we can be glad that Jesus is ready to do the same for us.
Sometimes we follow the crowd and judge others because we don’t want to be associated with the person who did wrong. Instead, we should take a cue from Jesus and offer people mercy, kindness, and encouragement to change their lives for the better. Isn’t that what we want when we fail?
-- Tim Carroll in “Devozine” magazine, May/June 2009
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