Updated and Re-posted: Neither do I condemn you…
20th March 2007
The story of the encounter between Jesus, the Pharisees and the woman taken in the act of adultery in the eighth chapter of John contains powerful lessons for us today. Imagine being in the place of this woman, probably half-naked, baring your body and soul to the world, caught at the point of shame, misery and rejection. Condemned by society, outcast by community and condemned by the tribunal. There you are standing before the Holy One, in front of the world, alone, naked, and ashamed. Around you fingers are pointing, chins are waging, head are shaking. Sneered upon, pitied and despised.
In a powerful demonstration of unconditional love, the Christ shows the accusing religious mob what He is about. None of the accusers could do continue. They retreated one by one until it was just the woman standing there before the Savior.
“Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
Powerful words that touches the soul of the one who was tormented, outcast and defenseless only moments earlier. No longer is she accused. Isn’t this the experience of repentance?
Repentance is not solely a human response to God’s mercy and grace. It is a change in position from one under judgment, to one redeemed. It is a change to realize the full force of transformation love - for He has forgiven you and you no longer stand accused.
This story has a parallel in the incident of the sinful woman at Simon, the tax collector’s dinner party in the seventh chapter of Luke. At that party, “a woman of the city who was a sinner” comes into the dinner party, wept at Jesus’ feet and washed them with her tears. Then she wiped them clean with her hair and anointed His feet by breaking open the alabaster jar of perfume. In that incident the parallel words that Jesus spoke to the woman were,
“Your sins are forgiven.”
Right there in the open, when she was being judged by the guests at the dinner party as a “Sinner,” Jesus declared her righteous.
That is redemption declared.
“Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
“Your sins are forgiven.”
Forgiveness of sin achieved that was achieved once and for all, out of His own initiative and solely through His grace and mercy alone.
That is what the Christ achieved for us all on the cross. And not just for our acts of rebellion, conscious and unconscious - but the sin that is part of our nature, He has taken all of it and nailed it there on the cross. When He shed the blood and when He cried out in his anguished pain, He did so that we might be free of the bondage and judgment of sin.
When the woman who was taken in adultery realized the import of those words, she was able to internalize the saving grace of the Savior. She replied assuredly,
“No one, Lord.”
The Christ then stretches out to her his arms of reconciliation.
“Neither do I condemn you.”
Not only is there redemption. God’s love reaches out to the sinner, to cancel her debt and reconcile her with Him so that they now have communion with each other.
In Simon’s dinner party, the prostitute heard the life-giving words,
“Your faith has saved you.”
You are now reconciled. Not only are the debts canceled, and the sins forgiven, but now there is communion with God.
God says to you, “You can come home now, and I will dine with you and you with me. My Holy Spirit will come upon you and God will live in your heart. Not only were you redeemed, you are now reconciled.
“Neither do I condemn you.”
“Your faith has saved you.”
Finally, Jesus speaks the words of freedom.
“Go and sin no more.”
It is tempting to think that these words are conditional words - “Go and if you want to continue to enjoy my blessing, then don’t you ever sin again.” The idea seems to be that if you have received grace freely, you must now pay for it.
Instead, these words are more than words of responsibility. They are words of grace and mercy. There are commissioning words. Words that tell us to follow Him who has gone before us, to be disciples and to learn of Him. For how else can we go and sin no more? Only through Him we can do all things. For He gives grace to empower through His Spirit.
We see the emphasis in the scene at Simon’s house when the Lord’s words to the “sinful woman” were, “Go in peace.”
For the words were spoken to declare that you are now restored. Words of restoration. That is balm to the desperate soul. Fully restored to walk now with God. New life in Christ and empowered in the Spirit. Restoration.
“Go and sin no more.”
“Go in peace.”
Peace with God. That is the ultimate desire of the human heart. And it is only possible through what Christ has done for us, and continues to do in us. They are empowering words, and they are humbling words. Christ has come not to judge nor to condemn, but to empower, to set free and to transform.
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March 10th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Beautiful
thankyou