Let's acknowledge up front that this woman committed adultery; she had sinned grievously. Jesus does not dispute the sinfulness of the woman, but there is a vast difference between the Pharisees' response to the sinner woman and Jesus' response to her. It is in Jesus' response that we see not only His love for the sinner, His grace and kindness to her, but also His meekness.
The Pharisees wanted to stone this woman because the Law said she deserved death for her sin of adultery. Jesus does not dispute this fact; nor should we, because the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). But Jesus dealt with the situation differently because He had a different mission from the Law.
The Law uncovers sin; Jesus saves from sin.
Jesus was the only One present at the “trial” who could have justly condemned the woman and put her to death (as He was the only One without sin), but He did not do it. He did not condemn her, but rather, He forgave her and then invited her to leave her sinful life.
Meekness is strength under control, power restrained. In the first passage, we looked at today Jesus had the power to destroy those who rejected Him, but He restrained that power because He did not come to destroy lives but to save them. In the second passage, Jesus had the authority to condemn and destroy the sinful woman, yet He refused to use that power and chose to forgive and not condemn.
Now, let’s apply this matter of meekness to our own lives. Perhaps your spouse has rejected you in the past or has committed physical adultery like the woman in John 8. Some would encourage you to react in the flesh and seek to destroy your spouse or at least publicly shame and condemn them.
But Jesus has another way. His way is the way of grace, love, and forgiveness - the way of meekness. Having the power to destroy, humiliate, and condemn yet choosing to forgive and restore instead. Jesus does not condemn you for your sins; nor does He want you to condemn others for their sins.
Jesus calls us to a meek attitude of the heart that does not condemn the sinner but instead encourages and enables their repentance. Those who do not have the Spirit of Christ or the mind of Christ will tell us to kick the sinner to the curb or make them pay for what they've done. But Jesus, who died on the cross for your sins and those of your spouse too, says to forgive and live in meekness. God has given us all we need for life and godliness in His Word; we can reject the world's counsel because we have the better part in Him (Luke 10:42) and no one can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39).
Question 5. In considering the two biblical accounts of Jesus’ meekness that you read in this lesson, do you have a heart of meekness toward your spouse? Please share.
Log in / create an account to enroll or continue where you left off.