“At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’ They 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. 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.’ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
“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. Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’
“‘No one, sir,’ she said.
“‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.’” –John 8:2–11
Imagine the scene with me:
The plan seemed like a great one.
“Let’s set up a woman to commit adultery, and we will watch through the window. As soon as they are in the middle of their embrace, we will barge through the door and bring the woman before Jesus. Let’s see what He will do. If Jesus lets her go, He breaks the law of Moses. If He condemns her, it unravels all of His teachings. We can surely catch Him in something now, and there’s no way out of this one! The man committing adultery, we will let him go; there’s no need to publicly shame him.”
Meanwhile, they clamored for which two would get to be the eager observers of the two lovers.
Hatred for Jesus. Using a woman as bait. “Perhaps this is how we can seal Jesus’ fate.”
Hands full of stones and hearts full of condemnation. The atmosphere was electric with judgment. This was simply a self-appointed court of law by the most hard-hearted religious of the day—no matter that Rome had removed the right to hold public executions for religious offenses from the Jews!
I’ve been on the other side of people’s accusations and judgments, and it’s so painful. We are so eager to see and condemn the lives of others and so timid to look at our own hearts. We call it love and care, with a tone of harsh accusation. We stand with verbal stones in our hands while the one Jesus loves gets ready to brace for impact. We frame it religiously as intercession or “God told me,” and meanwhile, three fingers are pointing back at the person whose mouth is wide open with the assaulting words of the enemy.
Look how Jesus models the way for us.
Notice Jesus said nothing at first but stooped low in a posture of humility. He was most likely entering into the shame of the woman and coming low to match her brokenness. He identified with her pain and just began to write in the dirt.
The words He wrote were not so we could formulate another tablet of laws or list of sins. Love keeps no record of wrongs. Perhaps this was for their eyes and their hearts only. And one by one, from oldest to youngest, they left. Then, it was only Jesus and the woman.
Jesus straightened up to look this woman in the eye, to show her the depth of His compassion. He didn’t condemn or judge because He would take all of that on Himself on the cross. He simply forgave and released her to be free from her sin. It didn’t erase the consequences of what may ensue from her decision (her reputation, perhaps a divorce from her betrothal or marriage, loneliness, and rejection), but she was forgiven. And all chains of condemnation were broken off because of the Savior of the world.
This woman went from sin and a death sentence to forgiveness and new life.
And Jesus implored her to turn away and leave her life of sin. He never made justification; He called it what it was. But He held no stones—only the hope of a life free from sexual sin. This was a beautiful moment of invitation for the woman to see sin for what it was and live life differently. God had fullness for her if she would choose differently.
This is what new life in Christ is all about. Jesus died so we could be forgiven and free. He doesn’t pile on judgment, accusation, shame, and condemnation; Satan does.
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” –Romans 8:1–2
Church, I implore you to stop rejoicing or gossiping about the fall of your fellow believers. The measurement of judgment you use toward others will be measured unto you. These men and women who have done mighty exploits for the Lord because of the calling on their lives most likely carry a much larger target on their backs than you do. It would be much better to weep for them and bear up under their failings than point a finger at them and call your friend to gossip and pass judgment. We are quick to pick up stones to throw at our brothers and sisters in Christ and join the voice of the accusers who stand in their self-made public trial.
“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” –1 Corinthians 10:12
We are all just one frail moment away from an epic failure. May we keep our posture like that of Jesus in this story. The Body of Christ needs you to pray more than ever for your spiritual leaders because the devil is prowling around looking for anyone he can devour.
Father, forgive me when I have picked up stones to throw at those Jesus suffered and died for. Forgive me for being quick to accuse and condemn. Forgive me for the times I have gossiped over the failure or mistakes of my brothers and sisters and stood with arms crossed in accusation and not compassion. Forgive me when I am quick to dismiss my own sin and quick to turn my head to look at others. I pray that I would be a person who bends low like Jesus did to embrace and love and pray for those who have fallen. I pray for humility to wrap my heart, not pride and self-righteousness. I pray that I would compassionately approach humanity, laying all stones on the ground, as I enter into Your heart of gentleness and compassion for all human beings who are but dust and in desperate need of rescue. I pray I would be honest with myself about my own shortcomings and sin and run to the cross with the understanding that Your love for me has covered my multiplicity of sins. I am not qualified to look on the sins of others or judge the motives of their hearts, so I ask You to search me and know me and reveal any offensive way in me and lead me on the path of righteousness (Psalm 139:23–24), in the name of Jesus!
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