January 27, 2026 Devo

Tony Tran was hired this past November by the St. John the Baptist Parish District Attorney’s Office, which is near New Orleans, LA. The District Attorney’s Office is charged with the responsibility of prosecuting criminals who are arrested for various crimes. It’s the perfect job for people who are passionate about cleaning up the streets from the criminal element and making their city a safer place to live.
However, things didn’t exactly work out for Tony. Last week, he was arrested for being a part of an elaborate drug distribution scheme. He was arrested at a home where police discovered 400 pounds of marijuana, as well as smaller quantities of MDMA, ketamine, psilocybin, and meth. Police also seized a total of $135,000 in cash, three gold bars, and three luxury cars, including a Porsche. Oh yes, and weapons were found there as well. I guess if you’re going to fight crime, there’s no better place to start than at home!
Our verse today is a great depiction of that same kind of hypocrisy. King Ahaz and his leaders are rejoicing because of what is going to happen to the Northern Kingdom and their alliances because of their disobedience to God. Judah is GLAD that their enemies are going to receive justice. They are CELEBRATING their enemy’s prophesied defeat and destruction. You can almost hear them shouting, “They’re getting what they deserve! Let them die in their sin!”
The problem is that Judah is blind to their own sin. They, too, have rejected God. They, too, have gone their own way. They have turned their backs on God just like Israel has. But somehow, like our fallen District Attorney, they feel like they will be spared the consequences of their choices. Pointing to God’s judgment of Israel makes them somehow feel better and holier about themselves. They have no idea their day of judgment is coming, too!
Reflecting on this today reminded me of how we’re often so quick to point out the sins of others. We stand around the coffee room at work or around the lobby at church and gossip about the latest person’s failure or sin that we just found out about. And usually, it’s not with a sense of brokenness or sorrow. It’s with a sense of affirming pride. The shame of it is that focusing on other people’s faults causes us to overlook our own. Let’s be honest. We’re not better. We’re not holier. In fact, our celebration of the judgment of others shows just how unlike God we are. Jesus put it best. “Let the one who has no sin throw the first stone.” That’s God’s Word for you today.