Your Opportunity

We all have been at a time in our lives where we have compared our sins against someone else's. We learn throughout the Bible that it’s not right to do! We find in Matthew 7:5 where Jesus is teaching and says: “You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Although Matthew 7 and John 8 are not speaking on the same events, we find similarities in the truth. We find in John 8 religious leaders were trying to question Jesus and trap him in the way things were to be handled under the Mosaic Law. However, Jesus calls out the leaders and tells them whoever is without sin can cast the first stone at the woman caught in adultery. This is where we find ourselves today in verse 9 starting with the older man then down to the very last one…they all began to walk away until there was only the woman and Jesus left. Jesus looks at her and replies: “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? No one, sir, she said. Then neither do I condemn you, Jesus declared. Go now and leave your life of sin.”

We must understand Jesus is not ignoring the sin of the woman but rather giving the gift of forgiveness. We too should be looking to offer forgiveness when the opportunity presents itself. As believers when we offer forgiveness to those who have wronged us we are giving them the opportunity to see the forgiveness we were gifted when we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. I personally believe that the crowd walked away with heavy hearts of conviction. Let us not allow ourselves to be so prideful that we ignore our own sin and focus solely on the sins of others. I also encourage you this is not an excuse to ignore sin in general. As believers we should be willing to call out sin in our lives and in others but with GRACE! When we extend forgiveness and grace we leave room for the power of Jesus Christ to do a mighty work.