The Eraser

When we are young and learning in school, there is a piece of equipment that is absolutely vital to the furtherance of our knowledge. An eraser. Certainly the pencil is very important, but it is the eraser that allows us to correct the mistakes that we make. It’s like a button that we can press to undo whatever we did wrong. “2+3=4”. That’s not right, is it? The answer should have been 5, but we made a mistake, and that mistake needed to be corrected. It is our eraser that gives us another chance.

And that is so similar to the grace and forgiveness of our Lord Jesus, and we can see it in the book of John.

John 8:1-11 says,  

“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.”

What happened here? The scribes and Pharisees had brought an adulterous woman before Jesus, and had asked Him whether or not they should condemn her to death for her sins. Now we should note right here that they hadn’t come to Jesus to learn from Him. The only reason why they brought the woman before Jesus was just to try to find fault with Him. 

But what was the Lord’s response? He knelt down and drew on the ground. After several times of them continuing to ask, Jesus stood up, and what was His answer to their question?

“He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”

That is quite a statement, isn’t it? It really makes you stop and examine yourself, and this is clearly what happened to the scribes and Pharisees. While it was written in the law that an adulterer should be stoned for their sin, Jesus took the pointing fingers of the scribes and Pharisees and pointed them back onto themselves. He made them ask themselves, “Am I a sinner?” Because if they were going to punish and condemn a woman for her sins, then they would have to do the same to themselves. After this conviction of their hearts that they, too, were sinners, one by one they left, knowing that they were guilty as well. 

Jesus didn’t condemn the woman for her mistakes. He didn’t hold a stone over her head and execute judgment. Instead He said,

“Go, and sin no more.”

There is a word for what Jesus showed this woman. Mercy. Jesus showed the woman mercy, just as He shows mercy to each and everyone of us each and every day. He doesn’t immediately condemn us to hell and damnation when we sin, but instead bears our sins upon Himself, and tells us,

“Go, and sin no more.”

Shouldn’t our Lord’s amazing mercy cause us to have this same effect towards others, if they sin against us? Jesus forgives us, shouldn’t we forgive others too?

Some people are too ready to pass punishment onto others that they do not stop to look at themselves first. Someone wrongs them in some way, and they immediately seek vengeance and punishment.

That is not the way of Christ Jesus. Jesus was surrounded by sinners everyday as He walked throughout Israel. How many of them did He condemn? Zero. None. Yes, someday we will all stand to account for our actions before Him, but until that day arrives He continues to show us His amazing mercy and grace.

I hope today that I helped you to understand the importance of mercy and forgiveness in our lives. Without it, none of us would even live another day. Show mercy, so that you will be shown mercy. Forgive, so that you will be forgiven. Just as Jesus has done for us, be that eraser that gives another chance.

In Christ,

Andrew