A. E. PLACE by A. E. PLACE

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Aug 27, 1914

A. E. PLACE

By A. E. PLACE

“Judge Not”—No. 6

A. E. PLACE

To my mind, one of the strongest lessons Christ gave on the subject of judging, is found in his dealings with the woman taken in adultery.

The scribes and Pharisees who brought the woman said to Christ, “Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?” The Lord said unto them, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one. . . . When Jesus had lifted up himself, . . . he said, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” John 8: 5-11.

The Lord may have known that some of the very men who brought this woman were in a measure responsible for her downfall; and as he wrote their sins in the sand before them, they perceived that he knew their lives and read their hearts, and they dared not remain.

He who read the hearts of those men back there can and does read the hearts of all who are ready to accuse today. And what he sees is being written before him. He also reads the heart of the accused. He read the heart of that poor fallen woman, and in her heart he read sorrow for sin, and a cry to him for power to live a pure life. And the Saviour of humanity responded to that call, and in the words, “Go, and sin no more,” he pledged her his divine help; and a soul was saved. Had he allowed “the law of Moses” to be carried out, a soul would have been lost.

Thus we see that only he who can read the heart is able or has the right to judge, but even he does not condemn the individual, but reaches out with tenderness and pity to save the sinner from his sin.

In Christ’s words to this woman there is in no sense a sanction of her sin; for he said, “Sin no more.” Had Christ condemned the sinner, we should all, before this, have been without hope; for we have all sinned.

This case is an important one in revealing the character of Christ as the world’s greatest teacher. He was the first man to put a just estimate upon the individual, and especially so upon woman. He was the first to reach forth the hand to lift woman to her rightful place among men.

In looking upon that one woman, Christ saw in her her sisters for centuries back. He saw them a disregarded, belittled, yea, even downtrodden class, regarded of little or no account as compared with men. Christ also knew that he had created man male and female. Woman was then bone of man’s bone and flesh of his flesh; they were “one flesh.” But he who had created, now stood before a marred and abused specimen of his handiwork, and the only thing he could do was to say, “Neither do I condemn thee;” neither do I condemn thy sisters. I would lift you up and place you once more by the side of men, that once more you may become their “help-meets,” and that they may love you as they love themselves.

This great Teacher opened in justice and righteousness the door to the condemned. He accorded to the afflicted and handicapped in all the walks of life the opportunity to enter the race with a good hope to win. Is not this one of the great tests of divinity? Is it not then a great test of Christianity?

Of course he was condemned. When Mary washed Christ’s feet, men high in authority said, “This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is: . . . for she is a sinner.” But he said, “Let her alone.” “She hath wrought a good work.”

Perhaps Simon and his friends did not know that Christ had already lifted this woman up seven times, and that while she knelt before him she was pouring forth her heart’s gratitude not in service only, but in pure worship. But Jesus knew it; and had he voiced the condemnation of those at meat, it would have broken her poor heart. If we condemn, may it not mean ruin to some one today, and prove our own ruin eternally? Shall we not think of the “seven times” for Mary, and then ask the question, “How many times has that same Jesus given me another chance?” How many times has he cast out, not a new devil, but the same devil from my heart? Has he not forgiven us the same sin over and over again? It may not have been the sin of the woman. The devil does not lead all people to commit adultery; but may not some other sins be just as heinous in the sight of God?

Some of the demons which possess humanity today, and possibly some in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, are: impatience, hard feelings, sarcasm, and sitting in judgment upon brethren. But let us remember that when we are truly ready to measure to others that which we desire to have measured to us, we shall find ourselves, not on the judgment seat, but at the mercy seat. We shall manifest no haste to run and tell of some one who “has a devil,” or has “done something awful;” but we shall be anxious to hasten in quietness and in love to the relief of the afflicted soul. We shall pour out our story into the ear of him who is still “touched with the feeling of our infirmities,” and to him alone; and our cry will be, “O Lord, save my brother, save my sister!”