Jesus and forgiveness

Have you ever needed forgiveness? I mean, you really messed up and you need someone to offer you mercy and forgive your mistake. Forgiveness is one of the most important teachings of the Bible. All cultures share the idea of mercy or forgiveness, but the Bible's teaching on forgiveness is unique for a number of reasons.

John's gospel tells us the story of the woman caught in adultery (8:1-11). There are three characters who stand out in the story line. They are the critics, the criminal, and Christ. The critics are the "teachers of the law and the Pharisees". They are more focused on trapping Jesus than showing concern for the welfare of the woman. For them the woman is nothing more than an object with which to trap Jesus. Jesus points out their hypocrisy with the words, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." (8:7)

The woman, of course, is a criminal. By Jewish law she could be legally stoned for her trespass of adultery. But so could the man! So where was he?! Leviticus 20:10 says, "If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress should be put to death."

Christ is on center stage in this drama. Both because the religious leaders want to trap him and because the woman needs his compassion and forgiveness. Jesus doesn't ignore or minimize her sin, but neither does he condemn her. Instead, he offers her compassion and hope for the future.

Where do you see yourself in the story? Are you more like the critics or the compassionate Christ? The Bible says "confess your faults one to another" (James 5:16), not confess the faults of others. A critic is someone who loves to point out everyone else's problems, pretending that they have none of their own. Christ, on the other hand, shows us a better way. The next time someone you know fails miserably, why not show them compassion and offer them a better way.

Maybe, as you read this, you can identify with the woman? We've all messed up in life. Too often we allow our sins to condemn us and keep us tied to the past. Receive the forgiveness of Jesus into your life today and move past your mistakes and short comings. Jesus offers us not only compassion, but also cleansing. He said to the woman, "Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin." (8:11)

Through the power of forgiveness we can rise up to live a life free from the past. I'm praying for you today to receive the forgiveness which Jesus offered the woman in John 8.

Have a great week, Pastor Tom