Saturday after Exaudi Sunday
Posted on May 27, 2023 by under
Scripture: St. John 8:12-19 (NKJV)
8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
13 The Pharisees therefore said to Him, “You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true.”
14 Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going. 15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. 16 And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. 17 It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. 18 I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.”
19 Then they said to Him, “Where is Your Father?”
Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.”
Devotion
The Pharisees were receiving mercy and they didn’t even realize it. Our Lord not only withheld condemnation from the woman caught in adultery, but He withheld condemnation from them. He pointed out their dishonesty and their ignorance about true righteousness, but He did not kill them on the spot or condemn them to hell in that moment. On the contrary, the fact that He engaged them and taught them was an example of His divine love! He tried to correct these self-absorbed people. He tried to help them understand true faithfulness to God’s Word and save them from the condemnation and hell that would come later if they persisted in their willful resistance!
Our Lord also showed that He brought grace and truth according to the good order that He gave to mankind. The hypocrites judged according to their sinful flesh, which was corrupted and self-serving. But Jesus showed that His witness and His mercy were right even according to good reason and proper practice among men. Our Savior came as true man and humbled Himself to help us according to God’s good order and righteousness. He did all things well. The faith and humility that His Holy Spirit works in us understands the true love of the Father as He manifests it toward all sinners through His beloved Son, Jesus Christ!
Prayer: Almighty, everlasting God, make us to have always a devout will toward Thee, and to serve Thy Majesty with a pure heart; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
