COMPASSION…LESS THAN A STONE’S THROW AWAY

“Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.” (1 Peter 3:8)

It has been close to 50 years in the making, but Roe v. Wade has finally been overturned.  I am fully aware that there are many all over the nation that are enraged by this turn in history, but God’s people should be among the ones rejoicing in this victory.  God is moving!!

With that being said, it will be so easy for us as followers of Christ to just rest in this victory and not realize that there is still so much work that needs to be done when it comes to helping those involved in a pregnancy crisis.  And this means more than condemning those who are in this situation.  I cannot help but be reminded of the compassion that Jesus showed the woman that was caught in adultery (John 8:1-11), and we as Christians need to be compassionate to others as well.

If you are not familiar with the narrative on the woman caught in adultery, I encourage you to read it.  For those who already know about this story, you are fully aware of those involved—the religious leaders, the woman caught in adultery, and Jesus. And despite the fact that adultery was the issue at hand, the man involved with the woman was not even part of the discussion.  Now that we know who the main characters were, let us dig into this story to see what God can reveal to us about having compassion for those who have sinned…

While Jesus was teaching in the temple, the Scribes and Pharisees (religious lawgivers and leaders) brought a woman who had been caught in adultery to Him.  These religious folks knew the law very well, and their main intention was to use the numerous laws of that time to burden other people so that they could remain in control.  They told Jesus that she must be stoned to death based on the rules that the law stated because of the sin that she had committed (Leviticus 20:10). But verse 6 explains the true heart of their intentions of bringing her to Jesus.  These religious bullies did not like Jesus because He did not cower under their authority.  Also, they could have cared less about the woman.  Since they knew that Jesus was known as a compassionate person, they felt like if He broke the law by not allowing this woman to be stoned, they could start the proceedings for getting rid of Him because He would be considered a lawbreaker.  They were religious leaders but evidently not burden bearers or grace and mercy givers.  No time for that when laws are broken.  According to their way of thinking, she broke the law and punishment was needed.  End of discussion. 

It is no different in our day.  There are a lot of religious people that know God’s Word like the back of their hand, but unfortunately they do not treat others with any compassion.  The fact that abortion is now illegal in many states is just fuel for some religious people to point their finger even more in a mocking way toward those that do not believe the same as they do.  I do agree that there are times that a more aggressive approach may be needed when handling spiritual affairs.  But when the main focus is on being and proving that you are right and your opposers are clearly wrong, there is no real representation of Christ.  Those of this nature are content with winning the battle only.  The scriptures say that “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21), and I fear that many religious individuals have “killed” more people spiritually by what they have said than the number of babies that have been aborted over the years.  Could it be that the reason so many people feel the way that they do about abortion (meaning siding with pro-choice) is because many of God’s people have not stepped all the way up to God’s mandate of loving other people as we should?  Just a thought, but let us move on…

Whether this was a set up from the beginning or not, the woman was brought before Jesus because she was caught in the act of adultery.  I say a set up because who really knows how she was caught?  Was she tricked?  Was she a poor woman and this seemed like the only option for some income?  And for all we know, she may have carried out this sinful act with one of the very men that was dragging her before Jesus.  Remember these men were heartless, so there is no telling how all this really transpired.  But the main point is that this woman did commit adultery and was face-to-face with her fate.  She undoubtedly knew that stoning was the penalty for what she had done, but now that she was caught, there was no reversing the role that she played in this sin.  Little did she know that being brought to Jesus was the best thing that would happen to her that day.

I have not personally dealt with adultery nor an unwanted or crisis pregnancy, but I can only imagine the turmoil that one may go through if they find themselves in either of these instances.  Like adultery, abortion is a sin (Exodus 20:13; Psalm 127:3; Proverbs 6:17).  I am not being unsympathetic with those who have faced or will face difficulties with a critical pregnancy. But those of us who believe in God’s way and His Word should not allow Satan and others to make us believe that abortion is the only or best choice no matter the circumstances.  Like stoning would have permanently ended the life of the adulterous woman and certainly left her friends and family in devastation, abortion is a permanent choice for the baby and can leave emotional scars with those that are left with the aftermath once this decision is made. But hope can often be found when the mother is introduced to other choices such as making a plan for adoption or seeking the assistance of a pregnancy care center that can offer support for those who choose to parent.  And despite what others may think, more than just the mother’s voice and choice should come into play before everything is said and done…

So, we have the woman, the religious leaders, and Jesus, but there was no indication that the man who aided in adultery was even considered or thought of as part of the issue.  It always takes at least two people to commit adultery, but the religious leaders were adamant on making a point about the woman only.  Maybe the man escaped before they could grab him, or as I stated before he could have very well been one of the men that was bringing the woman to Jesus.  All I know is that the man is not even mentioned, possibly not even present, and his role in this mess seems to be passed off like yesterday’s news.

From what I last heard it still takes two to make a baby, and the responsibility of a baby should be shared between the mother and the father.  It is very apparent that cases where a male has raped or violated a female should be handled completely different.  But there are too many cases where the father plays no role in being responsible for helping to create a baby.  This leaves the mother to manage all of the decision-making pertaining to a not so pleasant pregnancy scenario.  And there are also cases where the father does not want the baby to be aborted, but pro-choice laws seem to lay all of the choice on the mother and does not consider the father at all.  I do understand that giving a male a voice in the matter may mean that a female could suffer physically beyond what she would like, but we have to remember that it is his baby’s life that is at stake too.  I just do not believe that leaving the fathers out of the equation is wise when it is something as important as life and death of another.  Nonetheless, we can still thank God for Jesus…

As I mentioned before, it was nothing but the best thing for these religious aggressors to bring the woman to Jesus.  The Scribes and Pharisees had one intention, but Jesus took full control and flipped the script on them.  There is no telling what they thought of Him when He bent down and wrote something in the dirt instead of immediately responding to the current situation at hand.  Jesus stayed level-headed and did not allow the crowd to persuade Him.  And when He decided to stand back up and respond to them, He did not get in an argument with them.  Instead, He opens the floor for anyone without any sin to throw the first stone.  Of course, this stops everyone in their tracks and the woman’s death penalty was instantly prevented. 

Those facing a pregnancy crisis are probably already struggling with a lot of uncertainty and overwhelming emotions, and fortunately we can bring such issues to Jesus as He knows how to handle each dilemma perfectly.  Do not underestimate what God’s grace, mercy, and hope can do.  Let us also remember that we need to “love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8).  And if God was compassionate enough toward us to send His only Son to die for our sins, surely we can show enough compassion toward those who have found themselves in a predicament even if they have sinned.

And do you know where else you can point others who are going through a pregnancy crisis and contemplating an abortion? If you live in an area that has a local pregnancy care center, this would more than likely be a great place that provides support, love, and a variety of resources to those in need.  And for those in the Meridian area, you can support the Center for Pregnancy Choices (www.cpclegacy.com).  There are many needs that arise all the time.  You can also attend this upcoming event in August (see flyer below).  I hope to see you there!