As a child did you ever do something hoping you would not get caught. Maybe it was something as simple as taking a piece of candy. Did you go into a store and see the candy and feel tempted to take a piece? Did you think, “no one will ever know if I take one.” Did you sneak it in your picket? You may have done it successfully util your mom saw you with something in your mouth or in your hand and asked “Where did you get that candy?” Did you have to confess the truth or maybe you even tried a lie first but eventually the truth came out. Did your mom do like my mom and march you back to the store and have you confess and pay for what you had stolen? I am sure you were never so brazen or guilty.
Maybe you were caught doing something much worse like cheating on a spouse, embezzling from your company or falsifying documents. No matter how great or how small we all do things we don’t want to be exposed doing.
Our passage today is about a man and woman caught in adultery by the church leaders. The woman was brought before Jesus. He did not shame her before the crowd but He did not act like she had done nothing wrong either. Instead He took His time. He dealt with her accusers by asking the one who was without sin to cast the first stone. When all of the religious leaders left then one on one Jesus dealt with the woman. Jesus asked her “where are your accusers?” She said there was none. Jesus then said, “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.” The woman did not need to be reminded what she should have received as just payment for her sin. She needed a change of heart and actions.
As a child of God acknowledging our sin is very important because it is where we agree with God that what we did was wrong. Just as in the Old Testament the sinner placed his hands on the head of the animal to be sacrificed for his sin, as we agree with God we are symbolically raising our hand to say “I did this, would you forgive me?” Jesus has already been the sacrifice for our sin once for all. No more blood needs to be shed. Our next step is to sin no more just as Jesus told the woman. Take time today to ask God if there is any sin you have not confessed to Him and found forgiveness for. Then walk in confidence knowing no matter how small or how big your sin is God does not condemn you and His message to you today is “Go and sin no more.”