John 8 - Check Yourself before You Wreck Yourself

“ 1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7When 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." 8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9At 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. 10Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
11"No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

Wow, what a very moving story. Aren’t we all a little like the crowd, quick to judge and point out other’s faults and sins, but (conveniently) forgetful of our own sins. That is exactly what happened here. The crowd, in their eagerness to trap Jesus, brought a woman who had sinned. They were ready to put her to death by stoning her, but Jesus quickly diffused the situation, not by judging the people, but by having them judge THEMSELVES. One pointed reminder to check within before judging others and the WHOLE CROWD left.

Let this be a lesson to us all. When we are quick to judge others and “look down our noses” at their actions, we must remember that ALL HAVE SINNED, which means us too. Instead of judging harshly (as the crowd was ready to do at first), we must also remember that we are sinners too. We must do our best to help the lost repent of their ways, as Jesus did for this woman, NOT judge and persecute them for it.

Jesus, thank you for your example and help me not to be quick to judge, but be very quick in showing You to the world. Help me remember that I too am a sinner and have been pardoned by You, and help me to share that with the lost, so they may be saved, instead of judging them. Amen.