Accused and acquitted
Often, large crowds gathered in the temple to hear Jesus proclaim the gospel of the kingdom of God. Even the Pharisees, the leaders of the temple, attended these gatherings. As Jesus was teaching, they brought to him a woman caught in adultery and placed her in the center. They demanded that Jesus address this situation, forcing him to interrupt his teaching. According to Jewish law, the punishment for the sin of adultery was death by stoning. The Pharisees wanted to know Jesus' answer to their question: "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. Moses commanded us in the Law to stone such women. What do you say?" (Joh 8,4-5).
If Jesus acquitted the woman and thereby violated the law, the Pharisees were ready to attack him. Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger. Apparently the Pharisees thought that Jesus was ignoring them and became very loud. Nobody knew what Jesus wrote. What he did next made it clear that he had not only heard her, but also knew her thoughts. This reversed the woman's condemnation of her accusers.
The first stone
Jesus stood up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” (Joh 8,7)Jesus did not quote from the Torah, nor did he excuse the woman's guilt. The words Jesus spoke greatly astonished the scribes and Pharisees. Would anyone dare to be the one to carry out the punishment against the woman? Here we learn to be very careful when judging others. We should hate the sin we may find in others, but never the person themselves. Help them, pray for them. But never throw stones at them.
Meanwhile, they tried to show Jesus how wrong he was in his teachings. Again, Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground. What did he write? No one knows except the accusers. But whatever sins these accusers had committed, they were written on their own hearts, as if with an iron stylus: “The sin of Judas is written with an iron pen, engraved with a diamond point on the tablet of their hearts and on the horns of their altars.” (Jer 17,1).
Case dismissed
Shocked, the scribes and Pharisees fearfully abandoned the attempt to test Jesus further: “When they heard this, they went away one by one, the older ones first; and Jesus was left alone with the woman who stood in the middle.” (Joh 8,9).
The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews says: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebr 4,12).
She was brought to Jesus to be judged by him and awaited the verdict. She was probably afraid and didn't know how Jesus would judge her. Jesus was sinless and could have thrown the first stone. He came to earth to save sinners. Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She addressed Jesus very respectfully and said, "No one, Lord!" Then Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you!" Jesus added something very important: "Go now and from now on do not sin again." (Joh 8,10-11)Jesus wanted to lead the woman to repentance by showing her his great mercy.
The woman knew she had sinned. How did these words affect her? “No creature is hidden from his sight, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Hebr 4,13).
Jesus knew what this woman was going through. God's grace, which grants us the forgiveness of our sins, should be a constant motivation for us to live our lives without wanting to sin again. When we are tempted, Jesus wants us to look to him: "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (Joh 3,17).
Do you fear Jesus? You shouldn't be afraid. He did not come to accuse and condemn you, but to save you.
by Bill Pearce
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