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The Desire of Ages
man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go,
and sin no more.”
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The woman had stood before Jesus, cowering with fear. His words,
“He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone,” had
come to her as a death sentence. She dared not lift her eyes to the
Saviour’s face, but silently awaited her doom. In astonishment she saw
her accusers depart speechless and confounded; then those words of
hope fell upon her ear, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no
more.” Her heart was melted, and she cast herself at the feet of Jesus,
sobbing out her grateful love, and with bitter tears confessing her sins.
This was to her the beginning of a new life, a life of purity and
peace, devoted to the service of God. In the uplifting of this fallen soul,
Jesus performed a greater miracle than in healing the most grievous
physical disease; He cured the spiritual malady which is unto death
everlasting. This penitent woman became one of His most steadfast
followers. With self-sacrificing love and devotion she repaid His
forgiving mercy.
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.”
It is not Christ’s follower that, with averted eyes, turns from the
erring, leaving them unhindered to pursue their downward course.
Those who are forward in accusing others, and zealous in bringing
them to justice, are often in their own lives more guilty than they. Men
hate the sinner, while they love the sin. Christ hates the sin, but loves
the sinner. This will be the spirit of all who follow Him. Christian
love is slow to censure, quick to discern penitence, ready to forgive, to
encourage, to set the wanderer in the path of holiness, and to stay his
feet therein.
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