Daily Devotion, October 13, 2020

 

Devotion: Read John 8:1-11.

Jesus sits down at the temple mount to teach the crowds, when he is rudely interrupted by some teachers of the law and Pharisees trying hard to trap him, again. This time it’s a woman who was caught in the very act of adultery. First of all, were they spying, or was this a set-up to catch the woman? Secondly, where’s the man? If they caught her in adultery, didn’t they catch him too? The whole thing doesn’t pass the smell test. So, they humiliate the woman and have her stand in the middle of the group. They ask if Jesus approves of stoning her. If he says no, he’s disobedient to the Law of Moses. If he says yes, he comes across as cruel, and no friend of sinners. They are testing whether he is loving or just. Finally Jesus stands to speak, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” One by one they leave the scene, unable to take the position of judge. “I don’t judge you today either,” says Jesus to the woman. “But return home, and leave your life of sin.” With a master-stroke he is both loving and just. He is fair but not weak. He chooses to extend grace and mercy. Personal Worship Option: Do you treat those who have offended you with grace or fairness? We humans usually want God to deal with us in grace and our enemies with justice. But the Lord is reminding us to treat others as he has treated us, with grace and mercy. And that is not always what we would call fair. Ask God today to show you how to extend grace.