The Gentle Judge

If any one of you is without sin,
let him be the first to throw a stone.
                           —John 8:7

“Adulteress!” they shrieked. “We caught her. The law says to stone her. What do you say?”

“The guy that’s never sinned should throw the first stone.”

Squinting through swollen eyes she saw the crowd had dwindled to two, just Jesus and her.

“Has no one stepped up to condemn you?” he asked.

“No one sir.”

“Neither do I. Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Have you been there? Head bowed? Eyes shut? Accusers gathered—your own conscience chief among them?

The crowd is brutal. But the Lord is gentle. “He does not treat us as our sins deserve … as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (Ps. 103:10, 12).

Some say God will love you if you change.
The gospel says you will change because God loves you.

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