Mercy Triumphs over Judgment - Daily Hope with Rick Warren - April 10, 2022
Mercy Triumphs over Judgment
By Rick Warren
“‘Neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.’” John 8:11 (NIV)
If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, God calls you to treat everyone with dignity. It doesn’t matter if they act, think, or worship differently than you. He still wants you to treat them with dignity. Why?
Because that’s what Jesus did.
Jesus accepted everyone. This doesn’t mean he approved of everything people did. He doesn’t approve of everything you do either, but he accepts you and treats you with dignity.
In John 8, Jesus treated a humiliated woman with dignity, but her accusers did not. Instead, they brought her before Jesus and said, “This woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” (John 8:4-5 NLT)
Jesus knew they were just trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, so he “stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger . . . stood up again and said, ‘All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!’” (John 8:6-7 NLT)
Nobody knows what Jesus wrote in the dirt, because the Bible doesn’t tell us. Some scholars think he wrote down the sins of the woman’s accusers: judgmentalism, arrogance, dishonesty, or spousal abuse. After all, Jesus, being God, knew their secret sins and wanted to get to the heart of the matter.
What did her accusers end up doing? John 8:9 says, “They slipped away one by one . . . until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman” (NLT). They didn’t stick around to condemn her.
And Jesus didn’t condemn her either. Instead, he showed her mercy. John 8:11 says, “‘Neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin’” (NIV).
Did this woman do something wrong? Yes. She cheated on her husband. But Jesus protected her dignity in a public situation and dealt with her sin gently. He simply said, “Don’t do this anymore.” He changed her.
That’s why I love Jesus—because he does the same thing with me. He treats me with dignity, even though I don’t deserve it. That’s what he does in your life too, when you accept his mercy. And, it’s how he wants you to treat others.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
Be Encouraged Each Day to Live Out God’s Purposes
As thanks for your gift below to help share the gospel with more people around the world through Daily Hope, we’ll send you Pastor Rick’s new book, Daily Hope Devotional: 365 Days of Purpose, Peace, and Promise.
Each devotional starts out with a Bible verse, followed by teaching that explains God’s Word and shows you how to apply it daily so you can face any challenge and live the life you were created to live.
As a special bonus when you give, we’ll also send you What's Driving Your Life?: A 10-Day Turnaround for a Fresh Start. Featuring 10 hand-picked devotions from Pastor Rick’s new book, they’ll guide anyone feeling stressed, worried, or discouraged toward seeking God for a fresh start.
Request your copy below when you give—and take the first step towards a year of real purpose, lasting peace, and unfailing promises.
Thank you for your partnership!
*The USA IRS code permits you to deduct the amount of your financial gift to Daily Hope that exceeds the fair market value of materials you received from Daily Hope.
This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.
