Today’s scripture: John 8:1-11 (NRSV) (The Message)
As you read, consider: What might God be saying to me? Summarize your thoughts in a sentence or two.
My thoughts (Kay Olry):
“How do I judge thee, let me count the ways?!”
It doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as the original, does it? Merrit Malloy, a poet from the 70’s, once wrote that, “We lose a lot in judgments — mostly people.” That line has stuck with me all these years.
In today’s scripture we see a woman literally running for her life, with the people who were judging her at her heels, stones in hand, ready to kill her. They even had the law on their side — adultery was punishable by stoning.
When they ask Jesus the question, He doesn’t respond in a “right or wrong” way. He simply puts the ball back in their court. He asks them to judge themselves by the same standard that they’re using to judge her.
Over and over again, we see Jesus returning to the themes of compassion, mercy, and grace. He continually calls people to look, not to the letter of the law, but to the spirit of it. Yes, there are things that we do that God doesn’t want us doing. No, Jesus doesn’t condone the woman’s acts. He simply asks her to do better — to “go, and sin no more.”
We all judge people every day: our families, friends, co-workers, and strangers. People we know and people we don’t. Sometimes we keep these judgments to ourselves, and sometimes we tell anyone who will listen. We place being right over responding in love.
Maybe sometimes our judgments are accurate — and the people we’re judging truly deserve to be punished. I sometimes think that murderers, molesters, and rapists all deserve the hottest place in hell.
As a society, we place police, prosecutors, and yes, judges, between ourselves and our vengeance. We hope that our laws and our reason will help us to make right decisions when it comes to judging and punishing our fellow humans. We pray that God grants them the wisdom to be fair and just. Ultimately it is God, however, who metes out the final judgment.
For the everyday hurts and slights it can be easier to find compassion, grace, and mercy. For the larger offenses, it is much, much harder. I’m always amazed when I see people who offer forgiveness to those who have committed crimes against them and their families. They have taken to heart what Christ has asked each of us to do — to forgive.
I would like to say that I have figured out how to do this; that I’ve become such a mature follower of Christ that I can suspend my judgments and offer forgiveness instead. I’m not there yet. It seems impossible to me. Scripture tells us all things are possible through Christ. For now, I will continue to pray that He continues to teach me about compassion, grace, and mercy.
Thought for the day: Which people in your life are you losing to your judgments?
Today, let’s join together in prayer for: all of the homeless in our city, especially with this extreme weather.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. Use the item above as a starting point, or consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.