While studying the words of Jesus, I read: “Blessed are the merciful…” and I was halted right at that passage. I asked myself that, if graded on a scale by the Lord Himself, where would I rate? Admittedly I was greatly humbled; He sees my weaknesses so clearly.

John wrote to us in the 8th chapter about the woman caught “in the very act” of adultery. She was dragged from her house into the noisy streets where voices of her accusers demanded the sentence of death. Harsh punishment, no doubt! The Law demanded it ~ according to the Pharisees.

As I meditated on the sin of adultery, and feeling quite relieved that I was not guilty of my interpretation of this sin , I heard the Spirit of God say: “Look up the synonyms of the word ‘adultery.'”

Synonyms to the word “adultery” [for those like me who oftentimes squirm when truth is declared] are: unfaithful, falseness, disloyal, two-timing, and then infidelity. Before siding with the swelling crowd who cries: “Take her to Jesus! Let’s see how HE will judge her!”… I considered His daunting inquiry: “Stone in your hand?”

I confess I’ve been among the hard faced, hard-hearted crowd, thinking I am counted among the ‘wiser ones’ who demand a judgment ~ at least in the privacy of my thinking. I’m not proud of it…and I am quite grateful for His mercy. As for my own mercy, I’m oftentimes sorely lacking.

I look down the lens of binoculars, choosing the reduction lens to see myself. Pastor Sue Curran [The Forgiving Church] wrote about self-examination: “There I am…so fair I see!” [Phar-I-See] The despicable temptation then is to use the magnification lens to look at the lives of others.

Some of the sweetest words ever spoken by our Lord were: “Neither do I condemn you.” Though He knows our heart condition by the magnification lens, He rules mercy through the reduction lens. Better still…our confessed sins are known by Him no more.