Eric Reece
With the horrible events unfolding in our country, I was grateful for a commentator who – when asked about the events in Minnesota – said, “Don’t rush to judgment.”
I heard wisdom in his words and recalled what Jesus taught about judgment.
When Jesus was criticized for healing a man on the Sabbath, he responded, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment” (John 7:24).
Jesus was asking the religious leaders to judge him fairly. In the Sermon on the Mount, he said, “Judge not, lest ye be judged” (Matthew 7:1).
Here, Jesus was reminding everyone to take account of our own lives – before we cast judgment on others.
One day, Jesus was teaching near the temple when the religious leaders brought a woman to him (John 7:53–8:11). The woman had been caught in adultery and was made to stand before the crowd. The leaders told Jesus the woman had been caught in the act and the Law of Moses condemned her to be stoned.
Here was another trap. Only Rome could execute people and to advocate it would bring Rome down on you. According to the Law of Moses, both a man and woman caught in adultery were to be executed. Jesus saying no to her death would allow the religious leaders to say he doesn’t obey the law and overlooks sins such as adultery.
Jesus had proclaimed to people God was a God of mercy and love. Jesus was a friend of sinners who wanted them to know God cared and loved them. Was this a no-win situation, to get Jesus into trouble and undo all his work?
I have always thought of the woman – afraid; shaking; knowing her life was in the hands of the religious leaders. To justify her murder, they wanted Jesus’ approval.
Not so fast. What did Jesus do? He bent down and wrote in the sand. As they kept on demanding an answer, Jesus continued to write.
What was he writing? A friend told me Jesus was writing about love and mercy. Some have said the words he wrote were a reminder we are all sinners. Bishop Ambrose surmised Jesus wrote the words of Genesis 3:19, “For dust you are and to dust you will return.”
We do not know what Jesus wrote, only when he stood he gave them the answer. “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Convicted, the elders dropped their stones and they walked away followed by the crowd. Soon, only Jesus was left with the woman. Still frightened – unsure of what just happened – Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
She said, “No one, sir.”
And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”
She had a second chance – but the woman was not let off the hook: Jesus told her to go and sin no more.
With all that is going on, don’t rush to judgment. Let the stones fall and remember the grace that gives all a second chance.
Eric Reece is the faith columnist for The Graham Star. He is pastor of Robbinsville United Methodist Church and can be reached via email, ereece@wnccumc.net.