My Own Parable

God Prioritizes Relationships

One day, a group of angry men threw a woman at Jesus feet

In my imagination, she was most likely bruised with blood dripping on her face, slapped a couple of times by these holy men. She was most likely naked too.

These men said to Jesus, “Jesus, we caught this woman in the act of adultery. The Law states that we should stone her to death. What do you say?” (This makes me wonder. The last time I checked, adultery happens between two people. Where’s the guy?)

In other words, she broke the rules! But to God, as shocking as this may sound, His relationship with the woman was more important than those rules.

So Jesus threw a pail of cold water on these violent, blood-thirsting, stone-carrying, rage-breathing, nostrils-flaring mob by saying, “He who has no sin cast the first stone.” One Bible manuscript says, “He who has not committed this same sin cast the first stone.”

One by one, the guys dropped their stones and walked out.

       (Let me insert this: Next time you’re angry at something, check the mirror. Because most often, we’re angry at something that’s in us—but we just don’t admit it yet. So we project our anger at others.

When everyone left, Jesus bent down to this crying, trembling, terrified woman, cowering in front of him. He asked, “Where are those that condemn you?

The woman said, “They’ve left…”

That was when Jesus said two powerful things to her. And it’s important that you keep the sequence of these two powerful things right. (Many religious people invert his sequence!) 

Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.” 

And then He said, “Sin no more.” 

Religious people have inverted the sequence of these two words. They preach, “Sin no more… and God won’t condemn you.” 

You hear this again and again. “Keep the rules… and God will love you.”

That’s not what God said.  That’s not the right sequence.  

The first thing God says to you is, “I don’t condemn you.  I love you. I accept you as you are. You may feel like junk right now. Rubbish. Garbage. Because of your sins, your failures, you feel like the scum of the earth.   Well, I don’t condemn you. And if you receive my love, and enter into a relationship with me, I’ll help you not to break the rules anymore. Because of my love for you, you can overcome sin in your life.”

That’s the Gospel of Jesus.

God prioritizes your relationship with Him. More important than all the rules. Actually, more important than anything else in the universe.

Dear friend, go do the same. Prioritize your relationships. Make relationships your win in life.

Life is all about relationships.

Shout it from the housetops: Life is all about relationships.