O my soul,

Is that righteous anger we examined last week the right response to all the sin in the world, that sin which corrupts and stains everything, that sin which we see all around us?

By no means!

Jesus came to the temple on another occasion, and this visit was so very different.

Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”

― John 8:2-5

Doesn’t this woman epitomise all that’s wrong with society? Everyone choosing to do what they want with no regard for God’s holy law, and no regard for the cost in human suffering and shame? Surely that righteous anger is the fitting response to such a thing, wouldn’t you say?

The Pharisees were clearly angry, but let’s pause for a moment and look into the reason for their anger.

This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him.

― John 8:6a

In truth they didn’t really care about honouring the Lord, and they certainly didn’t care about the woman herself⸺she evidently meant nothing to them. They were out to test Jesus, to bring a charge against him, to bring him down. Perhaps they saw him as soft on sin, or at least soft on sinners. Their aim was to trap him into contradicting the law so that they could discredit him. Is this not precisely the behaviour of vain and dishonest men of rank? Theirs was so clearly not a righteous anger then.

And what of Jesus’ righteous anger that we saw previously?

Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

― John 8:6b-11

Upon being confronted with their own sinfulness, and beginning with the older ones, they went away one by one.

Beginning with the older ones. Perhaps only eventually do each of us understand how far we fall short. Is there not sometimes a harshness to be seen among the younger generation in their zealous pursuit of what is right and true? Perhaps only with the passage of time and the humble recognition of ongoing failure and shame in our own lives is each of us able to say with Paul,

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

― 1 Timothy 1:15b

Let’s put aside then that righteous anger that Jesus would have been feeling towards those vain and dishonest men of rank, and ask, what was he feeling towards the adulterous woman?⸺for the answer to that addresses our opening question on how we should respond to all that sin and brokenness we see in the world, that sin which corrupts all. Notice what he said.

Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

― John 8:10-11

Jesus did not condemn and he does not condemn, but it matters that each one sin no more. O my soul, from now on sin no more. Your Saviour demands it! And listen to Jesus explain why he came.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

― John 3:16-17

And so the answer is compassion, not anger.

The Father’s compassion for our broken and dysfunctional world and our own brokenness was the reason for sending his only Son to rescue and redeem, to die at Calvary where that great love was poured out for all, and to rise again in resurrection victory and power over sin and death and all that corrupts and spoils.

We do need to pause however and ask whether the Pharisees had a point. In all his compassion, is Jesus in fact soft on sin? And if his sacrifice at Calvary was sufficient to pay the debt of eight billion sinners, why would we any longer be concerned about the sin that remains. Cannot all be forgiven?

O my soul, do not so quickly forget Jesus’ final words to the adulterous woman.

Go, and from now on sin no more.

― John 8:11b

What else did Jesus have to say about this?

Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’

― Mark 9:42-48

Are these the words of one who is soft on sin? O my soul, you must purge the sin from your own life, and you must be ruthless in this. Do not tolerate it any longer. Do not be deceived⸺look ahead to what will happen at the end of this present age.

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.

― Revelation 20:11-12

Tremble at these things, and be grateful for the book of life, written at such great cost by the author of life. Such is compassion.

So thank and praise the Lord for his compassion which rescues and redeems. Put aside your righteous anger before it becomes self-righteousness, soften your heart, and reach out with compassion and kindness and the Lord’s great rescue for this broken world.

O my soul, learn to live with humility as one who was once lost and is now saved, put aside that anger, and put on a grateful and compassionate heart! 🙏