John 8:11 “She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”
The Lord’s treatment of sinners astonished the “scribes and Pharisees” (John 8:3). While the Lord never condoned sin, He was kind to the sinners while He Commanded them to “go and sin no more”. The “scribes and Pharisees” were trying to insnare the Lord, when they brought to Him a “woman” that “was taken in adultery, in the very act” (John 8:4). They told Him that “Moses in the law command us, that such should be stoned” and then asked Him “what say ye” (John 8:5). The Lord went straight to the heart of the issue, He recognized their hypocrisy, and said to them, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” (John 8:7) and then “wrote” something “on the ground” (John 8:8). The “scribes and Pharisees”, “being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last” (John 8:9). When the Lord asked her, “Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?” (John 8:10), she replied, “No man, Lord” (John 8:11). He then “said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more”. That is, He would not “condemn” her to be “stoned”, but He Commanded her to “go, and sin no more”! The Lord never indicated that such sin is acceptable, but He lovingly addressed the “woman” and Commanded her to do the work of repentance; that is, quit committing the sin. On another occasion “as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples” (Matthew 9:10), and again “when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?” (Matthew 9:11). Our merciful and gracious Lord then replied, “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. 13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Matthew 9:12-13). Our Good Shepherd (John 10) does indeed “leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.” (Luke 15:4-5). Then, He said, “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” (Luke 15:7). The message to us, is that we do not condone sin, but when we see the fruit of the Spirit in a person, we lovingly exhort them to Repent and “go and sin no more”.