April 19: Neither Do I Condemn You
Some lines in your inventory are hard to write because of the shame that comes with them.
“When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, 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.”
The scene before these verses is cruel. Religious leaders drag a woman in front of a crowd. She’d been caught in adultery. They want to use her to trap Jesus. Nobody asks how she feels. She’s just evidence.
Jesus bends down and writes on the ground. Then He says, let whoever is without sin throw the first stone. One by one, they leave, the oldest first. Finally it’s just Jesus and the woman.
And He asks her a question: where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you? No one, Lord. Then He says, neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more.
Notice the order. No condemnation comes first. Then the call to a new way of living. Jesus doesn’t skip over her sin. He calls it what it is. But He doesn’t lead with shame. He leads with mercy, and the mercy makes the change possible.
That’s the order for your inventory too. You write the hard things down. You don’t pretend they didn’t happen. But you write them in the presence of the One who refuses to throw stones.
Shame says: if anyone saw this, they’d walk away. Jesus is the one person who sees everything, and He stays.
You might notice the accusers in your own head. Old voices. Your own voice. They pile up rocks, ready to throw. Picture them leaving, one by one, until it’s just you and Jesus. Then listen to what He says.
If shame is overwhelming today, read help with shame after drinking. And talk to someone. Shame shrinks when it’s spoken out loud to a safe person.
One thing today
Write the line in your inventory you’ve been avoiding. Then, right next to it, write these words: neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more.
A prayer
Jesus, the accusers in my head are loud. Thank You that You don’t pick up a stone. Thank You for Your mercy. Help me write the truth, and then help me walk in a new way. Amen.
This is part of Step Four.
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