But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him.
Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” (John 8:1-11 ESV)
We need to not treat the people of this earth like the Pharisees treated the woman caught in adultery. We need to treat people like Jesus treated them. He spoke the truth in love to them. He wasn't soft on sin. But he was loving and kind to unbelievers and to true believers in him who followed him in obedience to his commands in holy living, even when they failed in one way or another (not in habitual and deliberate sin). But he spoke the truth to them, in love, perhaps even sternly, at times.
He was even kind to Judas when he knew that Judas had betrayed him to death. He was only truly harsh with the religious hypocrites who judged others harshly while they were sinning greatly against God, and while they were teaching what was false and were trying to lead the people astray. And he exposed them and their hypocrisies and their heresies and their false teachings so that his followers would not be led astray by them.
Video Talk
July 24, 2020
