In "God's Word for Today", David Woods writes the following discussion question:

What does it say to you that Jesus was known for His forgiving spirit while the religious leaders were known for condemnation? Is our church known for its willingness to forgive or its tendency to condemn?

He follows this up by saying:

Our passion obviously is to live holy before God. But what does it say when our church is known for strict, even judgmental, attitudes, rather than a caring love for others? Did Jesus, while He was on earth, have a reputation for holiness or for loving the sinner?

Discussion: Are we more like Jesus or more like the religious leaders in regards to forgiveness? What is our predisposition?
Source: Jesus, the Son of God: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 5.