Do you know what a two-way mirror is? It is essentially a window, but on one side it appears to be just a mirror just like the one you may use in your bathroom. You may often find one of these mirrors at a business somewhere, often by the checkouts, and on the other side of the mirror will often be an office or security room. I would find these mirrors rather fascinating as a younger child, because I had learned that, while you didn’t see anything other than yourself when you first looked at the mirror, if you placed you face up against the glass and cupped your hands around your eyes you could see directly through it and see what was on the other side. And this experience has shown me the truth that the Bible has taught, because before I went up to those mirrors to look at who or what was on the other side, do you know what I saw? I saw myself. Before I cupped my hands around my eyes and pressed my face against the glass I saw the reflection of my own face staring right back at me.
John 8:1-11 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.
And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.
And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
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.
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.
And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
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.
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.
This woman in this passage certainly was a sinner, there is no doubt about that. Apparently she had been caught “in the very act,” and it was this woman’s sins which the Pharisees sought to exploit in one of their many ways to attempt to find anything at all that they could accuse Jesus for, and in this instance they wanted to try to say that He wasn’t keeping the Law if He pardoned this woman. But after a short while Jesus gave them their answer with the words, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” Jesus essentially told them that “If you are perfect and blameless of sin, then stone her.” But how many stones were thrown at that adulterous woman? None. It was as though Jesus took a two way mirror and set it in between the scribes and the Pharisees and the woman, and told them, “What do you see? When you look at yourself, do you see someone who is perfect, or someone who is a sinner?” When they took a moment to think about the words that Jesus spoke they realized that they were just as much of a sinner as the woman before them.
Oftentimes many people may be like the Pharisees in the Bible who seem to be all too eager to point out the faults and errors of others, while seemingly completely oblivious to their own shortcomings. They only want to see what is on the other side of the mirror so that they may condemn others, but ignore their own reflection staring back at them.
Jesus doesn’t condemn a person immediately as soon as they sin. The Lord allows us time to get ourselves back on the right track when we vere off to the side and off of the path that He has shown to us. He gives us the opportunity to make the necessary changes so that we may try again, but sadly not everyone else is willing to do the same for others. They may have an outwardly appearance of righteousness, but they fail to examine their own selves. If they did they would realize that they are just as much of a sinner as everyone else.
Romans 2:1-11 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.
And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
For there is no respect of persons with God.
There is a place for forgiveness in everyone’s life. We all have sinned, we may all receive forgiveness. So the next time that you see someone who has fallen short in an area of their lives and has sinned, always remember to look at yourself. You too are a sinner, just the same as them. We all need that forgiveness that comes from Christ. Remember to look at yourself before you look through that mirror.
In Christ
Andrew
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 