John 8:1-11
Jesus Compassion for a Sinner
1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 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?” 6 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. 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.”
When I first read the Gospel of St. John, I was thinking (like in many of His teachings and parables) how would He address the questions and the situation that came up...The Pharisees tested Him with great challenges and very difficult questions...
When they first brought the woman caught in adultery to Him, I wondered what could He say...After all, stoning was written in the Law of Moses for those committing adultery...After all these men have caught this woman red handed (I also wondered where the man was...It takes two parties to commit adultery)...Then St. John mentions that the Pharisees were trying to trap Him...I wondered what would I say in this situation, but more importantly, what could and would He say?...Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with His finger...I thought He was writing out His answer for them in the sand...But they keep on asking Him with more questions...Now He straightened up and faces them and answers them...He tells them -let any one of them who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her...Then He stoops down again and writes more on the ground...All those who heard the answer begin to walk away one at a time...They are sinners...All have sinned...Not one can throw a stone, because all of them have sinned...It was and is the perfect answer...
But the story is not over...Jesus straightens up again and the woman is still standing there...He asks her about where have the men went, is there any one left to condemn Her?...She tells Him all have left and no one is left to condemn her...But Jesus is there, and He is the Perfect Judge...He can judge her for her sin and can condemn her...However, He is full of compassion, even for sinners who are caught by many witnesses...He does not excuse morality or the law...He forgives her...He tells her neither will He condemn her...But He cautions her, to go and leave her life of sin...
Jesus does not want us to judge others...He is the Perfect Judge...He wants us to look at ourselves and ours sins, before we go off in judgment...Just because one sins and is caught, and another sins and does not get caught, makes no difference...Sin is sin...That is why all her accusers left...They too had sinned...Our LORD does not want us to sin...By not condemning her He shows how compassionate He is even toward sinners...Jesus wants us to repent...He does not just tell her to leave...He warns her to leave her life of sin...We need to think of this, as we go through our lives making our daily choices...
Jesus is divine...He has the answers to the most difficult of our questions, even and especially when we are in trouble...