John 8:1-11

You know this really is an intriguing episode in Jesus' life.  There are lots of goodies to take away from it and apply to your life, but today I am thinking about my son  and of course his sins which have brought him to the point where he is expected to be moving out this weekend.  (No idea if that will actually happen, but he has been told there is no more grace.....)

If you, my reader, are a Christian - then you can understand the idea that everyone of us has a past.  That past is composed of sin and it may well be those sins which put you on the road to finding Jesus, learning about his payment for that sin and making peace with your Creator.

And whether you are a failing Christian (such as my son) or still looking for "something" to fill that hollowness within, it is heartening to know that every sinner has a future!

We are each to see ourselves in this woman brought before Jesus for condemnation.  I see myself in my son's rebellion to God.  I am just as guilty of rebellion against God as this woman was.  And where I find it so hard to have finally drawn that line in the sand - which son so quickly crossed over I still can not believe it!  But, Youngest Daughter has never been known to lie, so I know he really did beat his girlfriend in front of our house.

Each of us grades our own sins on a curve.  Well my sin can not be anywhere near as bad as yours!  Sin can not be minimized.  A white lie is as bad as stealing, which is as bad as murder, which is as bad as adultery, etc.  So from God's perspective, what son has done is no worse than what this woman brought before Jesus has done and no worse than anything I have done (even if I believe that hitting a woman is about as low as you can get!).  We can not compare our sins to another's!  If you want to do comparisons - you have to compare your holiness with God's holiness!  Yeah the "curve" disappears when we allow God in the picture.....

Jesus told this woman to sin no more.  In doing so He acknowledges that she did wrong, he offers hope for her future and offers forgiveness.

I am not sure my son will be able to see forgiveness in my pushing him out into the real world, but if he is to grow up and have a future - it obviously will not be living here and not learning his lessons the easy way.  Some things really crack one's heart.