Be Careful Not to Judge

Wednesday, March 18th, 2026

5 am

Good morning! Today I am in John 8:1-11. After the Festival of Shelters, Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning He went back to the Temple. A large crowd gathered around Him again and He sat down and taught them. While He was teaching, some teachers of religious law and some Pharisees brought a woman in front of Jesus who had just been caught in the act of adultery. They told Him what she had done and told Him that the law of Moses says to stone her. And they asked Jesus what He said about it. Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with His finger, and they kept demanding He answered. He stood back up and said, "All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!" And He stooped back down and started writing in the dust again. When the accusers heard this, they began slipping away, one by one, from oldest to youngest, until all that was left in the middle of the crowd was Jesus and the woman. Jesus asked the woman,"Where are your accusers? Did't even on of them condemn you?" The woman said, "No, Lord." Then Jesus told her, "Neither do I. Go and sin no more."

Jesus knew the Pharisees and religious leaders were trying to trap Him into saying something they could use against Him. The leaders had already disregarded the law by only arresting the woman and not the man that she had committed the act with. The law required both to be stoned (Leviticus 20:10 and Deuteronomy 22:22). Instead of answering one way or the other, condemning her or not, He began writing in the dust and told the accusers who ever had not sinned could cast the first stone. We don't know exactly what Jesus was writing in the dust but many theories point to Jesus writing each of the accusers' sins in the dust. Which to me, would make sense, why else would they leave one by one.

Here is the thing, we are all sinners. We all have committed some type of sin, no matter how big or small. We do not know what causes others to sin, but we can look at our lives and see what has led us to sin. We don't know what the circumstances with this woman was. We don't know what got her to the point of adultery, but it is not for us to judge. God is the ultimate judge. And by Jesus saying, "Let the one who has never sinned cast the first stone", He highlighted the importance of compassion and forgiveness. To be quick to pass judgment, would be to act as if we have never sinned. Instead of passing quick judgment, we are to show compassion and forgiveness, just like Jesus did to this woman. He did not condemn her, but He forgave her, and told her to, "Go and sin no more."

God does not want us to judge others, but for us to show compassion and forgiveness. Instead, of judging others, we must examine our lives for sin. When we find that we are stuck in a sin, repent and ask God to forgive you. Then turn from that sin and as Jesus says, "Go and sin no more." Instead of pointing out other peoples sins and condemning them, search for ways to lovingly help them. Pointing them to God, the ultimate redeemer. He can save anyone who truly wants to change. When we judge and condemn others, we may cause them to pull even further away from God. Instead, share God's love. Allow God to use you to show His love to those who may be struggling around you today.