No One Condemns You

Then each of them went home, while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, they said to him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’ They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’ And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 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 7:53-8:11

Marvelous Creator who made us all

from the one blood and one small planet

our uniqueness is  your true delight

yet we would scorn and abuse the other.

We place value on persons by certain color

and reject others who are not able to pass

we do little to stop the harm done to them

and blame them for our daily callousness.

Yet you would not condemn the woman

they would have stoned her then and there

yet you saw their faults and their sins

and they went away humbled by your face.

Lord, look upon us again with the eyes of love

and teach us to see others with your vision

let us condemn no one and lift up the lost

for you made us all in your diverse beautiful image. Amen.