By Kevin Harris, pastor of the Illawarra Community Baptist Church in Wollongong, NSW
And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
John 8:9
These scribes and Pharisees had brought a woman to Jesus to be judicially condemned. She had been caught in the very act of adultery. Laying a trap for Him, they wanted Him to pronounce her guilty. If He did, they could accuse Him to the Romans as usurping their authority. If He didn’t, they could accuse Him of being soft on sin and ignoring the Law of Moses.
Not desiring to step into their trap, the Lord stooped and wrote on the Temple pavement stones. But they thought they had Him. Pressing Him mercilessly, these foxes were unaware that He was about to turn the tables on them. ‘He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her,’ He says.
While the Lord went back to writing on the ground, these men reflected on what He had said.
Here they were, hypocrites, pretending to be zealous about holy living, all the while guilty themselves.
Our verse says they were convicted by their own consciences, and left.
Matthew Henry calls the conscience ‘God’s deputy in the soul.’ It condemned them.
It still condemns those who will judge themselves just as strongly as they judge the sins of others.
How often would we drop our case against others if we first took time to search our own hearts?
Father, help me to fiercely hate sin… but first in myself. Make me aware of my guilt, that I might confess it and forsake it. Thank You for placing Your ‘deputy’ in my soul to convict me of wrongdoing, and thank You for mercy and cleansing the moment I agree with You about it. I rejoice that the blood of Jesus cleanses me of all sin. I ask this in the Name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.
This article was written by Kevin Harris Dapto pastor of Illawarra Community Baptist Church.