Grace And Truth in Action
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 (NASB)
Grace and truth provide a beautiful dance, a harmony of motive and motion. Grace applied in human norms without truth can be an extreme of acceptance and affirmation of every sort, even evil. Truth apart from God’s guidance and grace can become harsh and tyrannical. God’s grace and truth fill and flow through Jesus, the Word who became flesh. Observing him in action, in his methods, and in his words, grace and truth bring life to those who are around him. An occasion of Jesus’ demonstrating grace and truth is in the situation with the woman caught in adultery.
Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them.
As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”
They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!”
Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” John 8:2-11 (NLT2)
Jesus didn’t condemn the woman, but he didn’t affirm her actions either. Sin is sin. The Jewish religious leaders were sinning and used her and her sin to set a trap for Jesus in front of the people listening to him teach. His approach did not require a loud exchange, or demands, or accusations, or even dueling Scripture verses. It was grace and truth on display.
How have you seen sin and sinners dealt with in the church?
How have you approached those who have violated sacred rules?
How would you like Jesus to deal with you and your sin?
How can you thank God for Jesus’ example?