The Gospel of John (Chapter 8) tells of some Pharisees who caught a woman right in the act of adultery.
They took her, made her stand in front of Jesus (who was surrounded by people in the temple courts) and asked Him: “Moses in the law commanded that we stone this woman – but what do you say?” You can almost hear the hush of the crowd as these words were thrown at Jesus, the Bible says ‘in order that they might test Him, hoping they might find a charge on which to accuse Him.’
The Pharisees weren’t actually following the biblical Jewish faith. They were an extreme sect that had taken God’s laws and twisted them and added to them – many of their additions designed to oppress women specifically. They had a real problem with women. (Where was the man who had been with the woman? The Law they quoted said the man and woman must equally be punished.)
They did nothing to help, and they enjoyed their positions of power.
They knew many laws, some of them they made up, and Jesus said they laid them on people’s backs as burdens and then condemned them for breaking them. They did nothing to help, and they enjoyed their positions of power.
The Pharisees were offended with Jesus already. He healed on the Sabbath, and challenged their legalistic complaints about that and shot them down. He taught women as well as men (forbidden by the Pharisees). He befriended sinners. He seemed to break all their rules. And the people loved Him. Those Pharisees were offended and looking for a way to get Jesus killed.
So, they dragged the woman, probably naked, through the streets to the temple court where they knew Jesus and many people would be. She, guilty, shamed, distressed and helpless, had no choice but to stand exposed for all to see, while they accused her just to trap Jesus. They had no real interest in justice or the law – they used it, as they used her, as bait.
Most parents reading this will understand the heart ache of watching your children get life badly wrong, and will know that if you could, you would take their consequences to get them back on track.
So, what does Jesus do? In the eyes of the Pharisees, their god was as legalistic as them. But they did not know the real God who was in their midst. A strong Father, who, faced with the sin of His children neither condemned them nor condoned their actions, but Who Himself convicts (convinces) us of our sin and on a cross takes the real punishment for His kids, with a heart full of compassion. Most parents reading this will understand the heart ache of watching your children get life badly wrong, and will know that if you could, you would take their consequences to get them back on track.
Jesus, unhurried, answered them:
“Ok, if any of you have not sinned, go ahead – throw the first stone at her.” They all, one by one, peeled off and left, their consciences stricken. He knew men’s hearts and He convinced them of their own sin.
The woman stands alone with Jesus. He asks her where her accusers are. “They’re gone.” We can almost hear her shocked relief. “Has no man condemned you?” “No one Lord!” (It’s interesting that this woman is the one who recognises that Jesus is Lord). “Then go your way, and from now on don’t sin.”
Jesus’ words, to the ears of legalistic religion, are outrageous. ‘What, you mean she just gets let off and told not to do it again!’ Yes, it’s called mercy, and it is in the heart of God Who has taken her punishment on the cross. The Pharisees, blinded by their own offence and agendas, could never see God’s law with God’s eyes, so they missed His heart. We can wonder whether Jesus’ conviction of their sin was enough to cut those hard hearts to allow love in again. After all, He is their Father, too.
To love a person, means to see him as God intended him to be
More than punishing her sin, Jesus wanted her to be the woman He knew she could be. Theodore Dostoevsky said: ‘To love a person, means to see him as God intended him to be.’ Our accusers, those who hurt us, and ourselves included. That’s a tough call, so we need God’s help to do it.
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