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pretenders who were caught in their own trap. Moral littleness in high places is always dangerous. But in the case of this woman we see signal defeat on the part of those who were out to hurt. Overruling Providence came to her rescue. These scribes and Pharisees were gallows builders, but like Haman who built a gallows for Modechia all to find it to be his own. You know, it is human nature to excuse readily in ourselves what we seek to magnify and condemn in others. We stand amazed at the records of crime in slum areas, but we excuse the makers of the slums. We send the captured to prison, and to reformatories, but our efforts to remove the cause are criminally slow. We are great accusers. [[bold]] Judged by Fruits [[/bold]] An old apple tree stood bent, gnarled, scarred, limbs twisted and broken, but bearing sweet apples. The blemishes are forgotten and the tree is admired for its fruitfulness and faithfulness, though scarred. This tree was not pretentious and barren. Friends, God does not regard us by our positions, but by our actual worth. He does not put any premium on false values. He saw something in this scarred woman. I think of another scarred woman whom He met at Jacob's well. He pulled her into His camp, and sent her back among the people, a flaming evangel [sic] of goodwill. Isaiah admits that he was scarred, but God took him in. Touched him with a live coal from off the altar. Saul of Tarsus was full of scars, but God found a place for him in kindgdom [[sic]] service. God was a discoverer of diamonds in the rough. He saw jewels that were still in the rubbish. He picked valuable stones out of the quarry. He didn't look for finished products. It is to be remembered that the church's champion was hounded all the way from Bethlehem's stable to Calvary's hill. [[italics]] All the way my Savior leads me What have I to ask beside? Can I doubt His tender mercy, Who thro' life has been my guide? [[/italics]] 13
