Reading Hearts

When someone pushes me into something that I don’t want to do, I sometimes say: “Here’s where I draw a line in the sand.”  It means: Stop it! End of discussion!

My sense is that Jesus was at that point in his relationship with the Scribes and Pharisees. They dragged an adulterous woman to Jesus wanting to stone her and to trap Jesus.  He bends down, using his finger to write on the ground, drawing his own lines in the sand.

Those religious leaders didn’t care about the woman and they didn’t care about Jesus either.  As far as they were concerned, the world would be better off without either of them.  

But they didn’t realize that Jesus had a unique gift.  He reads hearts. He sees what’s inside us.

So He knew exactly what was in the hearts of those Scribes and Pharisees.  And He knew exactly what each of them was guilty of.  So He saved that woman and gave her another chance.  In fact, He gave those Scribes and Pharisees another chance as well. 

The good news and the bad news is that Jesus reads our hearts too. 

What does Jesus see in your heart today?  From what does Jesus want to save you?  When was the last time He gave you another chance?

*Read the story of the Adulterous John 8:1-11