Daily Devotions 18th Feb 2017

John 8: 7
He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

The temple scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who was caught in adultery to Jesus and they wanted to test Him by quoting the Law of Moses which demanded that anyone caught in adultery must be stoned to death. They were trying to test Jesus and to find fault with him.

How could he answer them and justify the law? Is He said that she has not broken the law then they would have accused Him as a flase teacher. Jesus knew their hearts and intention and all He did was He stooped down and began to write on the ground with His finger as though He has not heard them. He did not want to entertain them in argument.

Finally He said ‘He that is without sin among you, let him cast a stone at her.’ Jesus did not say that the woman was guiltless but instead He reverses their accusation to reflect upon the accusers that they were imperfect and were sinners as well. He spoke so casually but sharply that He words pricked their conscience so deep that they were convicted of their own sin and corrupt nature.

The words of Jesus burned in their hearts and one by one the Holy Spirit caused them to be filled with remorse and they turned away. This is the power of God who promised us that no weapon that is formed against will prosper.

This is the grace of God who not only grants us He salvation but He also gives us the gifts of the Holy Spirit. What we cannot do, He will do for us. I was just informed by some friends that there was this member who had been under oppression for a couple of years and who withdrew from everybody but God did a miracle and restored this believer just as He restored the woman in this text. Jesus simple said “neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

This is the merciful God who we worship and serve, though He has given the laws and He is strict but yet His love and mercy are greater than His discipline. God does not want to punish His children if they are ready to repent and to live righteously after that. In the case of the woman, we know that she did repent and became a close follower of Jesus and in fact she was one of the women who followed Him to the cross.

We also read about the life of David who wrote most of the psalms and in them David confessed his sins whenever he had sinned against God. Though David was also punished for some of his mistakes but after the punishment, God always restored him to his position as a favoured son of God. In fact David is so favoured that his name is recorded for all eternity as a reference for our teaching.

Like David and the woman who was caught for adultery we too are just as sinful as the scribes and Pharisees. We too must be remorse about the sins we have committed against God and repent just as they did. Only then can we be forgiven when we called to God like David did when he said; ‘create in me a clean heart O lord and renew a right spirit within me.’ When we cry out to God, He wills surely hear and forgive.