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As an artist and religion scholar, I hope to offer something honest and personal, as I navigate the same world and serve the same God as you. I pray these reflections bring you value when you read them, as they do me when I write them.
-Rondall Reynoso
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Choosing Mercy Over Judgment and Character Over Image (John 8:10-11)
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“Jesus straightened up and said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, sir.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.’”
John 8:10-11 NRSVue
Reflection
People love watching others get judged. People also like to watch leaders fail, especially those who challenge comfort zones.
These verses are the end of the story of the “woman caught in adultery.” Jesus was teaching in the Temple while the religious leaders were determined to bring about His downfall. They brought before Him a woman who was reportedly caught in the act of adultery. They wanted to execute her and asked Jesus about it. He didn’t argue with them. He simply called for someone from the group who had never sinned to throw the first stone. Honestly, I’m surprised that the group was self-aware enough not to throw the stone. They knew that they were not perfect. Slowly, they all walked away.
Once they had all left, Jesus encouraged her to continue her life without engaging in such sin.
A few verses later, Jesus says, “You judge by human standards; I judge no one.” I had never noticed this verse before this reading.
Too often, we in the Church are eager to judge. We claim we are doing it according to God’s standards because “the Bible says so” or because “scripture is clear.” Maybe those Pharisees John wrote about would have said the same. But Jesus said, “I judge no one.” A few chapters later, Jesus says, “I do not judge anyone who hears my words and does not keep them, for I came not to judge the world but to save the world.”
It isn’t that there is no judgment. Jesus says in John 12, “on the last day the word that I have spoken will serve as judge.” But notice that the judgment is not now, and we are not the judges.
Why then are we always so eager to judge?
I can’t say for sure. Maybe it is because we believe that when we judge others, our own sins are obscured, hidden from the eyes of others.
What I can say is that if we are committed to being as Christ-like as possible, we need to spend our time showing love and forgiveness rather than judgment. We need to be content to leave judgment to someone more worthy and to accept it in God’s timing.
