Mercy

 

Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them.

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act.  Now the Law of Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?”

They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him.  But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground.  But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.

When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court.  Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they?  Did no one condemn you?”

She said, “No one, Lord.”  And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either.  Go.  From now on sin no more.”

John 8:1-11

 

The scribes, Pharisees and religious leaders in general spent a lot of time trying to discredit Jesus' teachings.  Time after time they would question Jesus about His actions and they would taunt Him with problems they believed would trip Him up and reveal Him as a fraud.

 

The woman caught in adultery was such a case.  The law required that she be stoned for her sins, but Jesus turned the situation upside down when He wrote on the ground.  Some speculate that Jesus wrote the sins of the men who accused the woman, but we will never know what was written.  The result was the accusers walked away.

 

Then Jesus spoke words of encouragement not condemnation, and sent her on her way.

 

We need to dig deep to find this kind of mercy for others.  Everyday we encounter people whose lives seem to be total wreaks because sin has over taken them.  And, like Jesus we can offer them love and the forgiveness of Jesus and encourage them to turn from sin and to Jesus.  

 

May we be as merciful as Jesus.