One of my weakest areas as a high school teacher was consistently disciplining students by the same standards day in and day out. When I was in a good mood, I tended to be more patient, forgiving or overlooking acts I normally confronted or punished. Meanwhile, if I was frustrated or irritated by a previous class, the wrath of Mr. Mankus came down in full force, kicking students out of class or sending several willing participants to after school detention. In a sense, my goal was to communicate the message, “you’re forgiven, yet not excused for your behavior.
As a parent, this struggle has become more complicated as my kids have grown up and become too comfortable to their laid back dad. Whenever I try to corral them toward a desired behavior, I receive sarcasm, creating a chain of laughter at my dinner table. Discipline is like an art form which requires discernment, firmness and a set of values to abide by. Bribing my children doesn’t work as well as it once was, spanking only worked when they were younger and yelling is too exhausting. Although I am imperfect, all I can do is strive to live out Proverbs 22:6, proclaiming, “you’re forgiven by not excused from your actions.”
John 8:1-11 contains a woman whose hand in caught in the cookie jar of sin. Before the days of judges and juries, the religious leaders were old school, taking action right away. Interrupting Jesus’ teaching, the Pharisees were eager to apply the law of Moses, seeking the death penalty for the adulterer. Thinking of his journey to the cross, Jesus turned his attention to perfection, looking for the guiltless to pick up the first stone. Writing down the sins of the people in the crowd in the sand, the accusers leave one by one, dropping their rocks on their way home. Although the crowd fled, Jesus didn’t let the woman off easy. John 8:11 implies once you ask God for forgiveness, an act of contrition is necessary. Jesus loves you just the way you are, but cares enough to move you beyond sin. Therefore, the next time you receive forgiveness, God expects genuine repentance, turning 180 degrees toward Him, leaving sinful ways in the rear view mirror.
by Jay Mankus
