By Josanne Anthony, SAVED News Correspondant
“…he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman…caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery…Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him…Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground…he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one…and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” John 8:2-11
I’ve read this story many times and just recently noticed something I hadn’t paid attention to before.
This woman was caught in a sin that continues to be scornful even today. Whether she was married, or her lover was married, or both were married, nobody wants to be caught in this particular web of deceit and heartbreak. However, such was the case for this woman.
A group of religious men who wanted to find fault with Jesus used this woman to do so. She was wrong for her actions. I’m quite certain she was humiliated and probably scared as well, knowing the group did not care about her fate. There are no gray areas for adultery. She was wrong.
What I noticed beyond the hatred of the group that brought her to Jesus is that they did so in front of the people that were in the temple to hear Jesus teach. There was absolutely no regard for the woman, no regard for the people that wanted to be fed by the words of Jesus but were forced to sit through this uncomfortable situation, and all of it is topped off with a plan to stump the Master.
Can you imagine sitting in a church service as the pastor begins his sermon, only to have an unruly group of men bringing a sinner to the front of the church, shouting their sins out in front of a group of strangers? Would we not just want to crawl under our pew, while trying to teleport our apologies to the victim of the smug mob that brought them in?
Thankfully, Jesus, in all of His power and wisdom, rectified the situation pretty quickly. He didn’t excuse the woman’s sin, encouraging her to go back out and repeat her actions. He did, however, remind the self-righteous group that they’ve been guilty of a few things themselves. The stoning party had been canceled.
This story is a great reminder to have mercy on others. The love that Jesus displayed was more effective in winning this woman’s repentance than the crowd who had no mercy on her and would have been okay with her being stoned, I’m sure.
Having mercy on others doesn’t mean we condone their sins.
It simply helps us to have a loving approach to their need for salvation and redemption, remembering that our past (and even some of our present) has not been perfect.
Love others and remember the goal.
“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9
About The Author
