SOME THOUGHTS ON DEALING WITH SIN!

 JOHN 8:1-11

Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.  And early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came unto Him; and He sat down, and taught them.  And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto Him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, they said unto Him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.  Now Moses in the Law commanded us, that such should be stoned:  but what do You say?  This they said, tempting Him, that they might have (a just cause) to accuse Him.  But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground, as though He heard them not.  So when they continued asking Him, He lifted up Himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.  And again He stooped down, and wrote on the ground.  And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last:  and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.  When Jesus had lifted up Himself, and saw none but the woman, He said unto her, Woman, where are those who accused you?  Has no man condemned you?  She said, No man, Lord.  And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn you:  go, and sin no more. 

WHAT DO YOU THINK JESUS WROTE IN THE DIRT?

*  Perhaps He asked them, Where is the man, if it is true you caught them in the act?  After all, Leviticus 20:10 says:  And the man that commits adultery with another man's wife, even he that commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

*  Perhaps He wrote the sins of all her accusers, showing them what hypocrites they were being.  Then, their consciences convicted them and their shame overwhelmed them.  After all, 1 Kings 8:46 says:  If they sin against You, (for there is no man that does not sin,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy.... 

*  Perhaps He wrote that He knew they were trying to trap Him so that they could actually stone Him!  In which case, they "put their tails between their legs," and left Him.  

*  Whatever Jesus wrote in the dirt, it silenced them!  Ironically, Jesus, the One sinless person (see 2 Corinthians 5:21 and Hebrews 4:15) Who was qualified to stone the woman, did not condemn her to death, but loved her, forgave her, and told her to go and sin no more!  The same is true for you and me; Jesus does not condemn us but, because we respond to His love for us by placing our faith in Him, He saves us from our sins, and He directs us through life as our loving Lord!

MATTHEW 7:1-5

Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged:  and with what measure you mete (standard you uses), it shall be measured to you again.  And why beholdest thou the mote (do you focus upon the speck or splinter) that is in your brother's eye, but do not consider the beam (large piece of lumber) that is in your own eye?  Or how will you say to your brother, Let me pull out the mote (the speck or splinter) out of your eye; and, behold, a beam (large piece of lumber) is in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first cast out the beam (large piece of lumber) out of your own eye; and then shall you see clearly to cast out the mote (the speck or splinter) out of your brother's eye.