Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.
In John 8, the Pharisees and teachers of the law caught a woman in the act of adultery. They brought her to Jesus, publicly accusing her. They had no compassion for her shame, no forgiveness for her sin, no accusation against her companion.
They said to Jesus, “The penalty for adultery is stoning. Do you obey the law?”
Good question. Did Jesus subscribe to the hard-on-crime punishments of the Old Testament? Or was he a soft-on-crime liberal, squeamish about the death penalty?
Jesus ignored the questioners. He didn’t answer them. Instead, he wrote in the dust with his finger. But when they persisted, he said, “If any of you is without sin, feel free to start the stoning” (v 7).
That hit a note with the Pharisees. Now who was soft on crime? The woman wasn’t the only lawbreaker in that crowd. Jesus wasn’t the only observer who was reluctant to start throwing stones.
The accusers drifted away, one by one, until Jesus was alone with the woman. He asked, “Where are they? Doesn’t anyone condemn you?” (v 10).
“No one, Lord,” she replied.
“Then neither do I. Go, and stop sinning” (v 12).
Some comments.
1. This story is a latecomer to John’s gospel. It’s not in the earliest manuscripts. Some scholars speculate that the early church didn’t want a Jesus who was soft on sexual sin. Being soft on crime can lead to all sorts of bad outcomes.
2. The only one who emerges from this story looking good is Jesus.
3. Jesus didn’t take the actual black-and-white Old Testament law about stoning literally. He flexed his application of the law, and he encouraged others to do likewise. Makes me wonder what other parts of the Old Testament Jesus didn’t take literally.
4. My fourth comment. The Pharisees may have been fans of capital punishment as a solution for sin and lawlessness, but Jesus wasn’t. Perhaps John’s gospel will propose a different solution for sin. Stay tuned.
Let’s pray.
O Jesus, you helped the woman escape the death penalty, but who will help you escape the cross?
The Pharisees weren’t prepared to stone the woman. But they will soon clamor for your crucifixion.
You freed the woman from the Pharisees’ hate and condemnation. But who will set you free when they come for you?
O Jesus, we are like the woman . . . guilty of sexual sins, and other sins, in our minds and in public places. Rescue us from shame. Deliver us from guilt. Save us from the accusations of conscience and the condemnation of the evil one. Do not deliver us to punishments prescribed by your law.
Teach us to stop sinning.
Amen
I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.
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