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Grace Over Condemnation
Andrea Lende • October 28, 2020
John 8:4-6
Grace Over Condemnation
You can also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Grace-Over-Condemnation-elmvt1
John 8:4-6
“Teacher, they said, This woman has been caught in the very act of adultery.”
“Now Moses in the Law commanded us that such [women – offenders] shall be stoned to death. But what do You say [to do with her – what is Your sentence]?”
“This they said to try (test) Him, hoping they might find a charge on which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger.”
The people who were addressing Jesus were the scribes and Pharisees.
The lawyers and religious people of the day.
The experts in the law and experts in Mosaic law.
They weren’t truly interested in the plight of the woman.
They were actually trying to catch Jesus in a wrongful way so they may have cause to accuse Him of wrongdoing.
The leaders of the day had motives that weren’t good.
They dragged a woman out of her home and into a circle which was sure to be a death trap for her.
They ruined her in the middle of the court filled with people.
However, she was just collateral damage to them.
To the lawyers and church leaders.
They really wanted to ruin Jesus and His reputation.
Their true desires were to have Jesus arrested and killed.
As awful as all of this sounds, as I read these verses today, I saw the weakness that we are covered in as human beings.
We all have motives.
Some good.
Some bad.
We are driven by some kind of motivation.
I find myself pondering my motives.
None of us is infallible in this human condition that we call life.
We all make mistakes.
We are all driven by both selfless and selfish motives.
This story shows us very plainly that we are susceptible to both.
Jesus shows us that He isn’t interested in condemnation of any of the people in this passage.
He freely offers grace to all people – even to the leaders of the church who wanted to pursue Him in a malicious way.
Only the Lord can help us win this fight of good verses evil which exists in every one of us.
As I watch the chaos of these days, there are people vehemently opposed to others and their points of view.
It seems we all have an opportunity to give more grace to one another.
We must lean towards grace.
We have freely been given the gift of grace and have the opportunity to offer grace to one another.
Today I choose grace over condemnation for me, for those I know, and for those I do not know.
May you find that it is far more peaceful to offer grace than to condemn both yourself and all others.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for showing me that grace is always better than condemnation. Help me offer grace to myself, to those around me, and to all people everywhere. Help me choose grace before choosing to condemn, Lord. Thank You for the grace You so bountifully pour over me and my life. Undeserving of Your love, grace, and mercy You cover me in all ways. Thank You, Father, for always giving me room to be myself and make mistakes. You still love me through all my faults and selfish motives. Help me win this battle of good verses evil. May You continue to fill me with more of You so there is less of me. Help me live for You, Lord, and not myself. Bend my will to Yours. May Your desires be my desires. Help me forgive others as You forgive me, Lord. May Your grace overflow in my heart so that I have more than enough to offer all those around me. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM with you, My child, and fill you with My Holy Spirit so you can do My will and glorify My name.
Response: Help me do Your will, Father, all the time and in all ways.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.