Page 3524 - 1970S

The scribes and Pharisees
smeJled blood. They had their
victim dead to rights. She had
been discovered while engaging in
illicit sexual relations.
Seeing this as a golden opportu–
nity to put Christ in a rather awk–
ward position, thcy quickly hustled
her off to the Temple courtyard
and thrust her into the midst of the
people who were there. All eyes
suddenly shifted to her and the
man her accusers confronted.
"This woman has committed
adultery and we even caught her
in the very act," thcy heatedly ex–
claimed to Christ. "According to
the Jaw she ought to be stoned to
death.' '
For the momenl Chrisl ignored
their acrimonious ranklings and
began writing in the sand. But they
continued to press Him for an an–
swer. Finally He stood up and lev–
eled His gaze at this impromptu
vigilante group. " He that is with–
out sin among you. let him first
casl a slone at her." He replied.
Wi1h thal rcmark, lheir self–
righleous blusler suddenly van–
ished and. slarling wilh the eldesl
members. they proceeded to beal a
rapid retreat.
When they were gone, Christ
asked lhe woman: "ls there any–
one here to condemn you?"
"No man," she replied.
Chrisl's next response was quite
revealing. "Neithcr do 1 condemn
you: go. and sin no more."
"Now wait a minute!" we might
say. Here was a woman caught in a
serious moral sin. probably found
wrapped in the am1s of her Jover
in sorne back bedroom-and that 's
all Chrisl did about it?
Even by modero standards He
had every reason to lhrow the
book at her. But instead He just
gave her a simple injunction which
might be paraphrased. "Don't do
it again."
Unlike the spiritual posse lhal
dragged lhe woman in for justice,
Chrisl saw much furlher than the
outward, physical effects of her
misdeeds. At this stage of the
game. what really counled was the
inward condilion of her heart and
The PLAIN TRUTH May 1977
APPEARANCES
CAN BE
DECEIVING
by George Ritter
mind-all ou1ward appearances 10
the contrary.
A Matter of the Heart
The same could be said for two
kings of ancient Israel. David and
Saul. To lhe casual observer living
in 1hat day, it would have been
easy to conclude thal Saul was the
more righteous of thc two. He was
very zealous when it carne lo reli–
gious ritual. burnt otferings and
sacrifices ( 1 Sam. 13:9-10; 15: 15).
He liked to be secn in the com–
pany of God's prophet Samuel
(1 Sam. 15:30-31). Saul creatcd
the illusion of rightcousness before
the people.
David, on the other hand, could
readily have been found wanting
and unfit for public office by
today's standards. He took sacred
bread from a religious shrine
(1 Sam. 2 1:6) and was even ac–
cused of "indecent exposure" by
his wife (11 Sam. 6:20). On a more
serious plane. he committed adul–
tery with Bathsheba and then in a
calculated. cold-blooded move.
had her husband killed to further
his own covetous. lustful purposes.
On another occasion 70,000 of his
countrymen perished in a plague
when he presumptuously num–
bered the nation of Israel (11 Sam.
24: 15).
fronically, God described David
as a man after His own heart (Acts
13:22; J Sam. 13: 14). while he re–
jected Saul as king of Israel
(1 Sam. 15:23)!
Unlike the average observer.
God saw much more than met the
human eye. "The Lord does not
sce as man sees." God told the
prophet Samuel. "Men judge by
appearances but the Lord judges
by the heart" (1 Sam. 16:7. ihe
New English Bible).
In this regard, David's spiritual
cardiac membranes weren't lined
with severa! layers of case-hard–
ened steel. When confronted with
his síns by Nathan. David quickly
and deep1y felt the pangs of genu–
ine remorse and wholehearted1y
repented (J I Sam. 12: 13).
Sau1, by comparison. despite all
his masterful attempts at putting
up a good front, miserably failed
when it carne to impressing God.
Repeatedly he sacrificed spiritual
principie in favor of ritualistic ex–
pediency. And even when this
shortcoming was brought to his at–
tention, he stubbornly insisted that
he had been right all along
(1 Sam. 15:20-21).
The Problem with Stlff Necks
and Stony Hearts
Stubbornness was also a major
reason why the religious leaders of
Christ's day couldn't accept His
message. A major part of it cen–
tered around the need for change
(repentance). And that was the onc
thing lhe Pharisees and scribes
were not about to do. They were
much more concerned with cling–
ing to comfortable riluals which
gave the il/usion of righteousness.
By contrast, peop le whom we
might classify as the "undesir–
ables" of that society had much
less difficulty responding to what
Christ had to say.
Christ Himself described this
rather paradoxical situation in
pointed language to those who
were least willing to change. "Tax–
gatherers and prostitutes are enter–
ing the kingdom of God ahead of
you." he told the unresponsive
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