Communion With the Christ:: No Stones Thrown

"And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you." John: 8:11

The religious crowd, moved by the religious leaders of the day, brought a frighten woman to Jesus, she had been caught in not just an act of sin, but a life of sin.

There is no doubt as to her guilt, she was discovered in sin, there is offered no defense on her behalf. There is no mistake she was guilty, and now she was brought to Jesus as he taught in the Temple.

The religious leaders whose whole function was to safe guard and follow the Law wanted to see what Jesus would do with such an obvious sinner as this woman.

"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" Jhn:8:2-6

Obvious Guilt

We see in St. John’s Gospel narrative that Jesus does not dispute this woman's guilt and apparently nor does she. This woman seems to be aware that the charges brought against her are legitimate. She is guilty of sin there is no way to deny it.

Jesus himself does not argue her case, he seems to understand who and what this woman is. Jesus also does not inquire as to the where-abouts of the man involved either, after all, it is the woman whom the religious leaders have brought to Jesus, not the man who was involved as well.

Jesus, also is very much aware as to why the religious leaders have brought this accused woman to him. Jesus understands their motivation and true intent. Jesus knows that they are uninterested in justice or holiness, he knows that they seek power and are attempting to discredit Jesus or gain control over him.

What the Law Says

The Scribes and Pharisees leave no doubt as to what they want. This woman’s accusers immediately quote the Law which is from both Deuteronomy: 22:22 and in Leviticus: 20:10, which says that adulterers, such as her, should be put to death.

In religious leaders understanding, it is clear as to what should transpire next. It is strange, given the Scriptures to which the religious leaders turn to , that somehow the man who was involved in the sin is not present or is being overlooked for some reason, for the Law calls for the death of both man and the woman to face punishment.

"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?" (4-5)

Jesus' reaction however was not what they expected nor wanted. Jesus knew their intent.

"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.” (6b-7)

Jesus then turns his attention back to the dirt in which he had been writing. He lets the force of his words settle into the hearts and minds of the assembled crowd. Each of them is silenced by Jesus and begin to remove themselves from the scene leaving only Jesus and the woman alone in the center of the court.

"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.” (8-11)

Not Condemned

After the woman's accusers are gone, it just Jesus and her in at the center of the temple court. Jesus then straightens up and address her personally.

Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” (10)

She answers Jesus, realizing that she has been spared from death as the Law would have dictated.

She said, “No one, Lord.” (11a)

Jesus' answer to her is simple but powerful. Jesus does not lecture her, nor in any way berate her, but simply confirms what is now true for her; she is saved from a terrible death all through grace in spite of her sin and guilt which was obvious in light of the Law.

She is now un-condemned as fast as the Law would have condemned her, Jesus saved her. Jesus however, tells this woman, that her now being free from death calls upon her to be transformed and live anew a life which has abandoned death and is now free from the condemnation of the Law which would have claimed her life.

"And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more." (11b)

Who was/is This Woman?

Many have wondered over the years as to who this woman might have been and what her name may was. Who was she? The answer is she is all of us, this is why, St. John does not record her name in his narrative of the Gospel so that we might insert ourselves into her situation which in light of the Law we all would have found ourselves if it were not for Jesus.

Each and all of humanity have sinned. We have all been caught in the sin of spiritual adultery against the great God who alone is worthy of our worship and love. We are all sinners and as such the Law, just as with the woman, would have claimed our lives.

The Law, Our Need for Jesus

The religious leaders, the Scribes and the Pharisees, acted out just what the Law with its demands was designed to do in the first place; it defined sin.

The religious leaders brought an obvious sinner to Jesus. In spite of their motives this was the very best thing that possibly could have happen to this woman, and to each of us as well.

The Apostle St. Paul wrote of the Law's purpose to the Church Galatia. There were some who had entered the Church and were attempting to merge tenets of the Old Covenant Law with the grace of Jesus Christ. The Apostle found it needful to write to them and clarify the purpose of the Law to them, and to us.

"But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor." Gal: 3:23-25

The Law with its demands brings us to Jesus, the Law lays bare all of our obvious sins. Many may shrink back from the idea of this stark revelation of their sin, but being confronted with Jesus is the greatest blessing that we could possibly experience.

Jesus knew exactly who and what this woman was and had done just as he know each of us. Jesus was not shocked by her or us. Jesus knows just what we all are, yet he say's to us when we are brought before him stands before us.

The Law which defined sin, has, like the religious leaders left the scene, and the voices which called for death and condemnation have now fallen silent. We are like, the woman, are left alone at the center of the Temple courts with Jesus.

The Law which called for justice and the death of sinners has now fallen silent. For the letter of the Law would have claimed her life and all of us in our sins.

"But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones" 2Cor:3:7

St. Paul mentions as well, that now the Law which would have brought us death has been replaced by the Spirit which brings life; we like the woman are not condemned ;the Law has no power over us.

"not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life" (6)

At the Center of the Court

After the religious accusers have left, this woman finds herself in the center of the Temple court alone with Jesus.

"and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court".(9b)

This is where she, and all of find ourselves, when the demands of the Law have been silenced, we are alone with Jesus at the very center of the Temple court. It was for this woman, and should be for all of us a very privet personal encounter with our Savior Jesus. With Law now gone we have Jesus alone.

I Do Not Condemn You

Jesus' grace has saved her and us. But having been saved does not free us to continue our past patterns of behavior. The Grace of God does not give us license to sin without responsibility, on the contrary the grace of God leads us to be transformed in our living.

Jesus admonished this woman, and all of us to live anew to put the past sins behind us.

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.” (10-11)

Jesus is telling us all that grace should transform us and lead us to righteousness, not grant us freedom to sin as we will. St. Paul speaks of this same transforming grace in his Epistle to the Roman Christians.

"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life" Rom:6:1-4

St. Paul then assurance us of the position of being un-condemned which we have through Jesus and the new life which we have in him. Jesus has given to us what the law could never give.

"there is now no more condemnation to those who are in Christ" Rom: 8:1-3

We all, like this woman caught in adultery, are now free to live and a new life; free of the condemnation of the Law which would have claimed our lives after showing each of us our needs for our Lord.

But the Law like the religious accusers has left the scene; we are alone with our Lord and Savior Jesus who extends to us a new life in his grace.

We are, now like the woman, with Jesus and he gives us his reassurance that we all are the recipients of his grace as Jesus speaks these words to any who would hear them. "I do not condemn you", for with Jesus there are no stones thrown.

Benediction: May we each and all as we are brought to Jesus and hear his assurances that we are not condemned, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen