...Jesus is very quiet at these moments. He lets it sink in as deeply as we're willing to let it sink in. Worse yet, He looks at us. Not in an accusing, angry way, but there's no mistaking the message: you are a sinner in need of a Saviour.
Today I had such an experience. Someone who had seemingly done something wrong ended up earning what looked like his come-uppance. I don't know for certain that this person did anything wrong, but the evidence seemed to be there. So when he fell, I was honestly quite pleased. Justice. I even added a tiny behind-the-scenes stroke of justice of my own to make a statement. He wasn't aware of it, and it didn't affect the outcome, it just made me feel as though things had been set a bit more right.
Then the Lord did the most appalling thing. He sent this person to me to ask my help. I did my best to help the person find a solution (even though there was no perfect solution). Then the real kicker came: the person thanked me very deeply for my help. From his perspective, I had shown him nothing but respect and consideration, and he wanted to acknowledge this. I thanked him for his kind comment and wished him all the best.
...Jesus is very quiet at these moments. He looks at us, and there's no mistaking the message:
You are a sinner in need of a Saviour, and I am that Saviour.
The feeling that overcomes a person at a moment like this has nowhere else to go but to the Saviour. Yes, it's very possible to run away. But the feeling will run there with you. And the only way you can get rid of this feeling yourself is to swallow it, rationalize it, beat yourself up for days, or pretend it was a good lesson and you've learned it.
The Saviour wants to do more than get rid of the feeling. He wants to cleanse you. He wants to change your heart, replacing your sinfulness with His holiness. Replacing your judgmental stone heart with His perfect heart of flesh, broken for you.
I don't know why it takes so many mirrors for me to see that my natural ways are the ways of death and that His natural ways are the ways of life. He will keep holding up the mirrors until I begin to grasp this.
But He never says "go away, sinner." He always says
You are a sinner in need of a Saviour, and I am that Saviour.
Come to Me. I died for you. Let Me make you whole.