Pleasing God, Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

Loveless Religiosity or Compassionate Christianity?

JOHN 8:2-11: Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

Today’s scripture is the riveting account of the woman caught in adultery. The lessons abound in this story, but our focus centers on the lesson of contrast. It is the contrast between the religious leaders in their dealing with the sinful woman and the Lord Jesus in His handling of her. And the importance of the lesson cannot be understated because every day of our lives, we will respond to people either with a Pharisee / Scribe heart of loveless religiosity or like the Lord Jesus modeling compassionate Christianity. Let’s build the contrast.

First, the loveless heart of religiosity in the scribes and Pharisees. Did they know truth? Yes, they knew the Law. They knew what God demanded of those committing adultery under the Old Testament dispensation. Yet, they viewed and treated the sinful woman as a pawn, a tool, an object to trick Jesus. My questions for them are “Where is the compassion? Where is the tenderness toward the woman? Where is the humility that realizes they likely committed adultery too in their minds and hearts? Maybe even towards this woman? None. Just cold facts. Just truth without love which is the ugliest thing in the world. And what about us? How often have we used truth in our families, with other Christians, and sinners in our spheres of influence more as a weapon to condemn and correct than a compass pointing them to the compassionate Christ? Be careful how we use the Sword of the Spirit, God’s Word. Yes, it cuts. Yes, it convicts. Yes, it exposes. But let’s make sure the One cutting, convicting, and exposing people under the Word is the Spirit of God, the Dove-like Spirit of God, who does not condemn and who brings the Truth to bear on hearts with gentle force wooing hearers to repentance and faith.

Now, the contrast in the Lord Jesus. How did He treat this daughter of Eve, this image-bearer of God? With truth AND compassion. There is a vivid picture of Him not condemning her who was already condemned. He didn’t rake her across the coals of condemnation. Not even brining up her past which likely included other acts of adultery. He spoke truth in love; truth that says, “I don’t condemn you, but don’t keep on sinning.” That is the conviction of truth bathed in compassion from Him who is the Truth. And friends, that is how God wants us to treat all people–with truth, bathed in love, and reflecting the Lord Jesus.

Well, today, our Christianity is going to be lived either as a religionist who knows truth but lives it without love or a Bible-Christian knowing truth and living truth under the control of Christ’s love. And the choice will be made by our attitudes, actions, and words.

PRAYER: “Father, protect me from a Christian life knowing truth but lacking truth lived with compassion.”

QUOTE: “Make it a daily prayer to be controlled by Christ’s love. Without it, we cannot live as God desires of us”