But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. "Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?" They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. Straightening up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more."]
My thoughts -
A couple of things about this story have always bothered me. First off, where was the man? The story says "a woman caught in adultery", but who was she caught with? And how was she caught? This whole scenario feels wrong, doesn't it?
It also bothers me that the concern of those who brought the woman to Jesus was not with the woman or the law. This had nothing to do with adultery. They were trying to trap Jesus into saying something that clearly went against the law. There was no concern for this woman. They were willing to potentially have her killed in order to punish Jesus.
There was no concern here for the sanctity of marriage, either. Adultery is a violation of a marriage covenant. A husband and wife are to be faithful to each other. Where was the husband? Was this woman married and cheating on her husband? If so, how did he feel about his wife being stoned? Or was the other man the one that was married? Again, where is he?
This is no honest dilemma. They are trying to trap Jesus. But he would not fall for that.
When my children bring concerns they have with each other to me sometimes I act like I can't hear them. Sometimes I act like I'm not listening or I'm too busy. One of them will have taken someone else's something or will have said something mean or will have done something to cause offense and the others will try to bring Dad into the situation. If the problem doesn't seem like a big deal and if they're just sniping at each other I will ignore it and see how they work the problem out for themselves. Often times these things just work themselves out. They get so worked up trying to get me to solve an issue and then when I don't respond it's like their focus shifts from the original issue to the issue of getting my attention. By the time they get my attention the original issue just doesn't seem like as big of a deal.
I wonder if Jesus was doing something similar here. Was Jesus just drawing in the sand, ignoring the accusers, and letting this situation defuse some? I'm not sure. It says Jesus was writing, but what? Was it important? Was it some brilliant teaching? Was he making notes for himself? Was he just writing for the sake of writing as things played out? It doesn't say.
My pastor, Steve, speculated in a sermon on this passage once, that Jesus was writing each of the accusers own sins. I like that. It plays well into what he says when he finally does address them, what most of us remember from this passage.
Whoever of you hasn't sinned throw the first stone.
Now of course they had all sinned. Everyone has. None of us is perfect. Only one ever has been. Per Jesus's reasoning on Jesus was fit to stone this woman, and he was too busy writing in the sand to be bothered to do it.
Maybe Steve is right that Jesus was, in writing, confronting each of them with their own sins. Even if he wasn't this statement does that. They have all sinned. They know it. Each of us should be pretty aware of our own failings. These accusers certainly were.
One by one, starting with the oldest among them, they put down their stones and walked away.
Why starting with the oldest? I don't know. Maybe with age came the wisdom to know their own sinful states. Maybe with age came some perspective. Maybe with age the desire for wrath and punishment had waned. Maybe with age came more years and more opportunities to commit horrible acts that they then became aware of anew with Jesus's confrontation. Who knows? In any even they all left, and no one was left to accuse this woman.
But what about her sin. Though this confrontation was never really about it, or her, she did commit adultery. Does Jesus just let that slide? Is that no big deal?
Jesus does not accuse her. Jesus does not stone her. But Jesus does send her away with a command.
Go and sin no more.
And after all of the drama from this situation I'll bet she did just that.
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