John 8:3-11
New International Version (NIV)
3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
This passage has been taught so much that I think sometimes we forget just how powerful this really is. These guys were wanting to kill this woman. They valued her life so little that they were willing to use her as a bargaining chip in their own political agendas. How do you get to that point? Well, I'm afraid it's a little bit too easy. All you have to do is stop looking at people as eternal souls.
Let's be honest: we do it all the time. We laugh at the Swamp People. We mock Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears. We talk about that woman at work that makes us crazy. But the thing is that this "adulterous woman" was real, with a real heart and a real soul and real problems and heartaches.
Jesus never forgot that. He viewed every person, first and foremost, as a soul in need of love and truth and mercy. How awesome would it be if we looked at people that way? What would that look like?
Well, no one would ever come into Wednesday night Bible class and have to sit alone, because we would care enough to sit down beside them and ask how their day was. The father whose wife just left would not have to wonder how supper was going to get on the table or who was going to take care of the kids, because we would be handling that till he could get back on his feet. We would keep our mouths shut about that woman at work, because we would realize that we don't know what she's going through in her personal life. We would love people. And it would show in every element of our lives.
These Pharisees realized that Jesus was right, grudging though they were. They walked away, "the older ones first". I can only speculate why, but I imagine that the elders of the group recognized the profound wisdom in what Jesus said. We've been forgiven so much. How hypocritical if we choose not to deal with people in love, forgiveness, and mercy.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
This passage has been taught so much that I think sometimes we forget just how powerful this really is. These guys were wanting to kill this woman. They valued her life so little that they were willing to use her as a bargaining chip in their own political agendas. How do you get to that point? Well, I'm afraid it's a little bit too easy. All you have to do is stop looking at people as eternal souls.
Let's be honest: we do it all the time. We laugh at the Swamp People. We mock Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears. We talk about that woman at work that makes us crazy. But the thing is that this "adulterous woman" was real, with a real heart and a real soul and real problems and heartaches.
Jesus never forgot that. He viewed every person, first and foremost, as a soul in need of love and truth and mercy. How awesome would it be if we looked at people that way? What would that look like?
Well, no one would ever come into Wednesday night Bible class and have to sit alone, because we would care enough to sit down beside them and ask how their day was. The father whose wife just left would not have to wonder how supper was going to get on the table or who was going to take care of the kids, because we would be handling that till he could get back on his feet. We would keep our mouths shut about that woman at work, because we would realize that we don't know what she's going through in her personal life. We would love people. And it would show in every element of our lives.
These Pharisees realized that Jesus was right, grudging though they were. They walked away, "the older ones first". I can only speculate why, but I imagine that the elders of the group recognized the profound wisdom in what Jesus said. We've been forgiven so much. How hypocritical if we choose not to deal with people in love, forgiveness, and mercy.
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