Condemning is Not Our Responsibility Part 2
In the Lord God’s constitution, we read about a group of religious leaders, seeking to entrap the King concerning a woman’s disobedience to the law. Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning He was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and He sat down and taught them. As He was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.
“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”
They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so He stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then He stooped down again and wrote in the dust.
When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”
“No, Lord,” she said.
And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
Keep in mind, it was the religious people that were attempting to entrap Him. It wasn’t those who embraced the world system--meaning the Romans, who claimed Caesar as their king! It was religious people who brought the woman to the King, ready to condemn her to death. By the way, where was the man with whom the woman was having the adulterous affair? The Lord Jesus didn’t even ask where the man was. The Lord Jesus didn’t even interrogate her, but after He finished writing on the ground in front of those religious leaders, He made this statement: Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” Those are the words of a King with power and authority.
Even those around Him recognized His power and authority. But Jesus reprimanded him. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” He ordered. At that, the demon threw the man to the floor as the crowd watched; then it came out of him without hurting him further.
Amazed, the people exclaimed, “What authority and power this man’s words possess! Even evil spirits obey Him, and they flee at His command!”
Here is another occasion where a paralyzed man was healed: Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to His own town. Some people brought to Him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.” Notice that the King at no time pointed out the man’s sins, but forgave him of them.
There was another time where King Jesus sat with “sinners”, those with whom the religious leaders would not associate. Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?” The Lord Jesus, our King, was the food they needed. He was there, representing His Kingdom, not condemning them. There will be a time for that. The King was the doctor they needed. When Jesus heard this, He said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” Then He added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
He made it very clear that the people needed a change of heart, mind and spirit. Those of us who embrace the King and His message are to be ambassadors, full of the governor (Holy Spirit, which makes us true ambassadors of His government). Obeying His Word should be our number one priority. That is what we will be judged by—God’s Word. Once again, we are to represent the King and His Kingdom in all we say and do. “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
Our responsibility as Kingdom citizens is to season and bring out the best to all mankind. We can’t do that if we are always condemning them. Again, remember who you are: “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Follow the King’s example. We are to give people hope as citizens of the Kingdom, not a religion. One of the purposes for the Lord Jesus surrendering His earthly life was so mankind could come directly to Him, not through any religion. For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. Now notice the next scripture: God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him.
He came to this world for the love of mankind. By the way, this is our last opportunity to come to Him. Having said that, our responsibility is to represent the Kingdom in the best light possible. For us to do that, we must study His constitution.
Remember, your greatest asset is your faith in His Word.
Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me.”
John 8:1-11 Luke 4:35-36 Matthew 9:1-2, 10-11, 12-13 Matthew 5:13-16
John 3:16-17 John 14:23-24
~~W.R. Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed. Thank you
“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”
They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so He stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then He stooped down again and wrote in the dust.
When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”
“No, Lord,” she said.
And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
Keep in mind, it was the religious people that were attempting to entrap Him. It wasn’t those who embraced the world system--meaning the Romans, who claimed Caesar as their king! It was religious people who brought the woman to the King, ready to condemn her to death. By the way, where was the man with whom the woman was having the adulterous affair? The Lord Jesus didn’t even ask where the man was. The Lord Jesus didn’t even interrogate her, but after He finished writing on the ground in front of those religious leaders, He made this statement: Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” Those are the words of a King with power and authority.
Even those around Him recognized His power and authority. But Jesus reprimanded him. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” He ordered. At that, the demon threw the man to the floor as the crowd watched; then it came out of him without hurting him further.
Amazed, the people exclaimed, “What authority and power this man’s words possess! Even evil spirits obey Him, and they flee at His command!”
Here is another occasion where a paralyzed man was healed: Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to His own town. Some people brought to Him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.” Notice that the King at no time pointed out the man’s sins, but forgave him of them.
There was another time where King Jesus sat with “sinners”, those with whom the religious leaders would not associate. Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?” The Lord Jesus, our King, was the food they needed. He was there, representing His Kingdom, not condemning them. There will be a time for that. The King was the doctor they needed. When Jesus heard this, He said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” Then He added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
He made it very clear that the people needed a change of heart, mind and spirit. Those of us who embrace the King and His message are to be ambassadors, full of the governor (Holy Spirit, which makes us true ambassadors of His government). Obeying His Word should be our number one priority. That is what we will be judged by—God’s Word. Once again, we are to represent the King and His Kingdom in all we say and do. “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
Our responsibility as Kingdom citizens is to season and bring out the best to all mankind. We can’t do that if we are always condemning them. Again, remember who you are: “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Follow the King’s example. We are to give people hope as citizens of the Kingdom, not a religion. One of the purposes for the Lord Jesus surrendering His earthly life was so mankind could come directly to Him, not through any religion. For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. Now notice the next scripture: God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him.
He came to this world for the love of mankind. By the way, this is our last opportunity to come to Him. Having said that, our responsibility is to represent the Kingdom in the best light possible. For us to do that, we must study His constitution.
Remember, your greatest asset is your faith in His Word.
Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me.”
John 8:1-11 Luke 4:35-36 Matthew 9:1-2, 10-11, 12-13 Matthew 5:13-16
John 3:16-17 John 14:23-24
~~W.R. Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed. Thank you
