Recycled Lives

John 8:3)And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
4)They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
5)Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
6)This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
7)So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
9)And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
10)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?
11) She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

This is where I was reading last night before going to bed. I just read the passage, not thinking too much more than the normal about it, and went to bed. Then something happened as I lay in bed and tried to fall asleep.

I began to think about the way that the Pharisees and the Scribes had acted towards the woman caught in sin. They unashamedly brought her before Jesus and told Him of her sin. Now why do you suppose they thought it was okay to expose her sin and ask for the right to stone her? Why did they feel the need to embarrass her in front of Jesus? Maybe I'm reading too much into the setting of this story, but what bothers me the most is that they thought this woman to be DISPOSABLE! They would have just as soon stone her and walk away.

Oh, that I would not allow that spirit to get a hold on me. When I see someone who is obviously in a lifestyle of sin, I pray that I have compassion towards them. That I lead them to Jesus...not to highlight their sins,or ask permission to throw stone at them...but to point them to the One who can forgive them of their sins and show them a better way of life. I don't want to look at them and think of them as done for or disposable. No, I want to think of how I can recycle them and bring meaning to their lives by showing the the Love of Jesus.

May I do the same for my brother or sister who has fallen into places they never intended to go. May I have compassion on them and pray for them and help them to stand upright again. I never want to be guilty of bringing them before God or others just to expose them. May I quietly find a place and pray earnestly for them and lift them up in prayer to the God who can forgive and forget. I'm not a good recycler as far as glass bottles, plastic containers, cardboard boxes and newspapers go, but I want to always look at people and see them as having the ability to be recycled into something great.