QT 20 Aug 12, We are good at judging others, not so good ourselves

John 7:53-8:11 (NIV) Then each went to his own home. 8 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, "If any one of you is without sin, let him 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."

NOTE: This passage is greatly debated since it is missing in several manuscripts. I really have no opinion on its historicity other than to say that since it has survived to this day, maybe God purposefully preserved it. The woman is to be stoned, which suggests that she was a betrothed virgin who had laid with another man. And since she did not cry out (in the case of rape), is guilty of sin. We really don't know the circumstances regarding this woman's sin or what really happened to her. We also don't know what Jesus wrote on the ground. One commentator suggested he wrote the sins of those who accused her, beginning with the oldest. That would have cleared out the crowd quickly. Jesus knows exactly what happened to the woman. He does not condemn her, but he does tell her to leave her life of sin. Did he disobey the law of Moses by showing mercy? From a strict letter of the law point of view, possibly. But that was Jesus' whole argument about the law -- the people argued the letter of the law and totally missed the intent of the law. Who is to say whether a woman cried out or not, or was physically abused such they she did not cry out? Maybe she got herself into the situation through foolishness, but she has a right to say "no." The law set the penalty, but the situation had to be evaluated fully. And, why make a case of this one woman, when others in the crowd were guilty of the same sin and others, and had never been found out. If Jesus did write those sins on the ground, I think they would have quickly realize that they were guilty of being stoned too, right after her. Thankfully, God knows us fully. And, he forgives us on the basis of Christ's death for our sins. We are good at judging, but not so good at living righteously!