Judging and God’s Grace
Today’s Bible Verse:
John 8:7 ESV
And as they continued to ask (Jesus), He stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Yesterday at the cancer center, I sat with a gentleman who believed that all Christians were too judgmental. He complained that people who follow Jesus Christ shouldn’t judge people for their words or actions. It made me think of the story of the woman in John 8 who faced being stoned because she committed adultery.
Today’s verse from John's Gospel offers us a profound reflection on the nature of sin, judgment, and forgiveness. Jesus, when confronted with a woman caught in adultery, a situation where Mosaic Law demanded stoning, does not condemn her outright. Instead, He turns the focus back on her accusers, challenging them with the famous line, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her."
Jesus' words expose the hypocrisy and self-righteousness of the accusers. They were eager to judge and condemn the woman but conveniently ignored their sins. This incident reminds us that we are all sinners, falling short of God's glory. No one is without sin; therefore, no one has the right to judge another.
Jesus' response to the woman is not one of judgment but forgiveness and grace. He doesn't condone her actions but offers her a chance for repentance and a new beginning. He says, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." This is a powerful reminder that God's love and forgiveness are available to all who seek it.
As Lutherans, we believe in justification by grace through faith. We are saved not by our works but by God's grace. This understanding should shape our interactions with others. Instead of judging and condemning, we should offer forgiveness and grace, just as Christ offered us.
Sinners judge others, and we do it to the fullest! Yet Jesus shows us a better path.
PRAYERS
Keep in Your Prayers:
The people along the East Coast are dealing with weather challenges, especially here in our New Jersey communities, cleaning up after flooding from torrential thunderstorms yesterday, and those along the Southeast Coast are facing rains from the tropical system.
All people dealing with cancer
Those who reject Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
A Prayer for Today:
Merciful God, I confess I am a sinner prone to judging and condemning others. Forgive me for my self-righteousness, and help me see myself as You see me, a sinner in need of your grace. Teach me to extend the same forgiveness and grace to others you have shown us. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
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