Capital Punishment?

Good Friday morning! Years ago, we might even say centuries, a man wrote down his confessions. Today this writing is considered a landmark work in Christian literature. The Confessions of St. Augustine is a work familiar to most pastors, priests, and Bible scholars. Not that I consider myself worthy of any of those titles, but I do have a nice copy decorated in 22k gold, printed on fancy paper with an actual font, and I have actually read some of it. Today, I happened to glance into the living room while gathering up some stuff and, lo!, the great work of Christian scholarship had been demoted to a resting place for a cat's bottom. I couldn't help but think of the reaction something like this might cause in other times and places.

Another person might consider this an abomination. The cat would have to be executed in some ritual, the book cleansed in another ritual, and the family embarrassed and humiliated for allowing such a thing to happen in their home. This scenario might seem a bit on the silly side to us, an overreaction to a nothing event. However, as we look back to the Law in our Bible, we find penalties for events and actions that might seem to us a bit harsh over something so small. As we read further, we find that the penalty for sin is death. Any breaking of God's Law is a sin, and any sin is death. (The cat is fine. Relax, let me get to the point here.) Then we come in our reading to Jesus. Compassion and mercy, but still backed by God's perfect judgment. The woman caught in adultery is brought before the Master. The zealous guardians of the Law are ready to carry out her sentence. Jesus draws in the dust. Finally, our Lord gives them permission to stone the lady... provided they are free of sin in their own hearts. Oops. The accusers leave one by one until only the accused is left with Jesus.

We too come to the cross with accusers all around ready to condemn us to death. The accuser might be our own conscience, the words of other people, or even the Accuser himself. In answer to the clamour for punishment, Jesus gives His answer. "Neither do I condemn you." In John we read that Jesus did not come to condemn the world, but that we might be saved through Him. So much condemnation in the Law as we fail to keep it. So much grace in Christ as the accused stands freed from condemnation by the very Word of God.

To God be the Glory!
Bucky