Sin No More

 John 8: 1-11

8 ¹ but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

² At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. ³ The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ⁴ and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵ In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” ⁶ They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. ⁷ When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

⁹ At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. ¹⁰ Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

¹¹ “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin."

What a comforting scene!  Near stoning, forgiveness, a new direction, peace.  Can we imagine how this woman felt?  A new lease on life, a new direction. We are not sure what became of her, but it's hard to believe she didn't do what Jesus asked of her.  

Jesus forgives us and asks that we abandon our sinful ways...something which requires sorrow for our sins, and a firm purpose (discipline) to mend our behaviors.  Prayer for the grace to carry out this new life is essential.  As we enter these final weeks of Lent, may we pray all the more sincerely to emerge from these weeks of fasting, prayer and charitable giving as a new person, risen from the tomb of sinfulness and bright with new life on Easter.

Bro. Rene