Glass Houses

 Jesus said, "'Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.' 

    At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.

    Jesus straightened up and asked her, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?'

    'No one, sir,' she said.

    'Then neither do I condemn you,' Jesus declared. 'Go now and leave your life of sin.'" John 8: 7-11

    In our local paper, on the front page, there was a report of a woman I knew some years ago. It surprised me to learn she had been convicted of theft.

    It pleases me none to say my immediate thought was to call so-and-so and spread the news. After all, she was fair game, being in the paper and all. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit reminded me to have compassion on her. What if a sin of mine was posted for all to see? 

    Perhaps you have heard of this proverb, "Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones." Though Solomon did not write this, its premise is biblical, hearkening back to the woman who was caught in the act of adultery. She was front page news as her accusers dragged her before Jesus for all to see, demanding she be stoned in payment for her deed (as quoted above).

    Indeed, God's word says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," and "The wages of sin is death." (Romans 3: 23, 6:23) However, before you slump in dejection as the memory of your sins weighs upon you, finish reading these verses!

    "...for all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ." and " ...but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

    Obviously, sin is not okay with God since the Lord caused his only Son to suffer as our sacrifice. "The punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5) That is the very essence of the Good News.

    We all live in glass houses. When we see another stumble in the chains of slavery to sin, let's remember to pray for that person to meet the One who has the power to break those chains.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God." John 3:16-21