The Last Word on Tolerance: WWJD?

We've looked at Paul's exhortations to the Romans in great detail. Now let's examine how Jesus, our ultimate guide and authority on all matters, tolerated others during his ministry. Two instances come to mind immediately which represent opposite approaches to tolerating others: Jesus' dealing with the adulteress and his response to the moneychangers at the temple.

With the adulteress, Jesus is confronted with a woman who was caught in the act of adultery. Yet, rather than condemn her, Jesus turns the tables on her accusers and challenges the person without sin to "cast the first stone." Then, after the accusers depart, Jesus firmly instructs the woman to "go and sin no more." With the moneychangers, Jesus becomes enraged, turning over the tables of the moneychangers, who had turned the Temple into a marketplace. What can we take from these two scenes?

First, Jesus draws a clear line between personal sin and spiritual sin. On many occasions, Jesus shows grace and mercy to those who have succumbed to the temptations of the flesh. His tolerance is not a turning away, mind you. He clearly calls out sin for what it is. But his approach to these sins invites the sinner to repentance. He extends grace and mercy to the offender rather than jumping immediately to condemnation like the accusers of the adulteress.

Second, with regard to the spiritual sin, Jesus has zero tolerance for that. For those who desecrate the Temple and bring dishonor to God, Jesus has the harshest rebukes. Such is the same for the Pharisees, when Jesus chastises them. Their self-righteousness is causing others to stumble and bringing dishonor to the Father, whom they claim to represent.

Finally, let's look at a passage in Matthew 13 that gives us insight in how we are to go about judging others:

24Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
27"The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?'

28" 'An enemy did this,' he replied.
"The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'

29" 'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.' "

In this parable, Jesus instructs us not to take on the job of "kingdom gardeners." It is not our responsibility to "weed out" those whom we feel are unproductive. We are not equipped with the wisdom to do so. That task is to be left to God on judgment day. Too often in today's church, leaders have positioned themselves as such gardeners and have indeed "rooted up wheat" along with the "weeds."

In summary, Jesus teaches us that it's not about what we do in response to sin, but how we approach the sinner. The Pharisees approached sinners in a judgmental, legalistic manner that guaranteed condemnation. Jesus, on the other hand, approached the sinner with grace and mercy and opportunity for redemption.

We are called toward a ministry of reconciliation with those around us. Our aim is to bring as many as will come to a relationship with the Father through knowledge of the Son. That is our commission. We are not commissioned to enter into judgment and condemnation. To do so means that we put our own souls in peril.