For the Woman Caught in Adultery (John 8:2-11)
Review the story of the woman caught in adultery. Though Ellen G. White made it clear that the woman was set up (The Desire of Ages, p. 461), there was still no question of her guilt. Nevertheless, how did Jesus treat her? What can we learn from this story?
"In His act of pardoning this woman and encouraging her to live a better life, the character of Jesus shines forth in the beauty of perfect righteousness. While He does not palliate sin, nor lessen the sense of guilt, He seeks not to condemn, but to save. The world had for this erring woman only contempt and scorn; but Jesus speaks words of comfort and hope. The Sinless One pities the weakness of the sinner, and reaches to her a helping hand. While the hypocritical Pharisees denounce, Jesus bids her, 'Go, and sin no more'"—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p.462.
What tender compassion and love on Jesus' part! He handled the situation in such a way that forever afterward the woman's accusers would be eager to leave her alone, since they never could be sure what she had read about their private lives on the pavement that morning.
In what ways was Jesus ministering even to the hypocrites who brought this woman to Him in order to try to snare Him?
If you read the story carefully, you can see the compassion of Jesus even for those who were so evil in their intentions. If only their hearts would have been as open to the wooing of Christ as was that unfortunate woman's.
| How would the typical Adventist congregation handle a situation like this? How do we balance adherence to high moral standards with compassion for those who fall? |
| MONDAY | May 26 |
For the Children (Matt. 19:13, 14)
Children have borne the brunt of suffering over the centuries. Helpless and dependent, they often have been caught in the crossfire of war and conflict, public riots and family feuds. It was children, infant males in particular, who bore the brunt of the first hideous "solution of the Jewish problem" under the ancient pharaohs of Egypt (Exod. 1:15, 16). And it was infant males who again were decimated in Herod's slaughter of the innocents (Matt. 2:16), leading Matthew to recall another time of indiscriminate slaughter of children at the start of the Babylonian captivity (Matt. 2:17, 18; compare Jer. 31:15). Learning about Herod's slaughter, perhaps on His mother's knees, how keenly Jesus must have remembered it, knowing that these innocent little ones had died, in a sense, because of Him. (He had come to die for them; but before He was old enough even to conceive of His mission, they had died because of Him.)
How do the following passages capture Jesus' tender love and concern for infants and children? What messages are being given to us in these accounts that go beyond how we should treat children? (Matt. 18:2-6, 19:13-15).
Those children who sat on Jesus' lap that day, and to whom His hand had been outstretched in blessing, what might their future have been? What memories did they take from that day, those old enough to remember? Did some of them later accept Jesus as Messiah? And how must they have felt to know that that loving Person who had put His hands on them in blessing was now in the highest heavens ministering in their behalf? What depth of assurance that must have brought them! Politicians kiss babies for their parents' votes; but Jesus loved the children for their own sake. "Let the little children come to me," He scolded His protective disciples, "and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these" (Matt. 19:14, NIV).
What children, if any, are within your own sphere of influence? How do you respond to them? Think carefully about how you treat them. What steps can you take to make sure your influence is as positive as possible?
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