Reading 1 Corinthians 5 (Paul’s courageous stand against a man living an immoral lifestyle while being a member-in-good-standing of the church) has caused me to reconsider John 8. A woman caught in adultery is dragged before Jesus. When challenged to give his opinion re. the “death sentence”, He hints strongly that none of those present had the moral authority to carry it out. “Let him who is without sin be the first to throw a stone” (John 8:7) I often hear people use this story to “prove” that Jesus wants us to be non-judgemental toward others (I agree) and NEVER INTERVENE in someones else’s life unless we can demonstrate a kind of unattainable perfection as a prerequisite ( I wonder). Was Christ questioning the moral challenge or the death penalty? Was he saying that we should never get involved or that our motive (checked and rechecked) should be to redeem and not to destroy? The last line is the desired outcome. “Go and sin no more.”
I was challenged with having been guilty of doing the same thing for which I complained about someone else for doing, and the challenge was put to me to review Matthew 7:1-5.
Whether it was right for me to do so or not, I challenged the challenge. I prayed for the Lord’s guidance.
However, I urged the other person to review the meaning of the selection, which I feel is best illustrated in Luke 18:9-14, the parable of the Pharisee and the publican. I felt it was necessary to become involved in this situation. Was I right or wrong?
To be non-judgmental is valuable when applied correctly or chaos when misapplied.