“Disrupting a ‘nasty piece of work’”

By Rev. Michael Stonhouse

Meditation – Tuesday, February 8, 2022

John 7:53-8:11 (Forward, p. 10) CEV p. 1111

It is quite apparent that the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were faced with the rather difficult task when compiling the gospels that bear their names. It was the matter of deciding which stories, which teachings of Jesus to include, or not include. The last verse of John’s Gospel alludes to this very thing when he says, “But there are also many other things that Jesus did; if every one of them were written down, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25). It is obvious, then, that he knew that he couldn’t record and pass on to posterity all of them. Today’s passage is also a testimony to this fact. While in the accepted canon of the New Testament, it ‘showed up’ in its present setting, certain other ancient manuscripts placed it elsewhere. In some versions of John’s Gospel is comes after John 7:36 or John 21:25, and in some versions of Luke’s Gospel it follows Luke 21:39 or Luke 24:53.

So why, given these discrepancies, was it included? I would suggest two reasons. First and foremost, it was included because people recognized it to be inspired, to be the very word of God. And secondly, because it captured, in a unique way, something of the character and spirit of Christ and thus conveyed an essential message for all of humankind.

But, let us back up a moment, and look at the setting and context of the passage itself. Its setting, its context, strikes me as being strangely modern, strangely contemporary. In fact, it would be right at home in much of modern political skullduggery and machinations. Its political jockeying, lying and cheating, and its total disregard for human dignity and human worth, would find a ready home in much of today’s world.

Here we have the upholders of the Law, the ‘Law and Order’ people, namely the scribes and Pharisees, cooking up something, starting something, using a relative ‘nobody’ as their pawn. They did this entirely to try to frame Jesus, to try to make Him ‘look bad.’ It’s a bit of political theatre: they are the principal actors--along with Jesus--and the poor beleaguered woman is but a prop, a bit of incidental scenery.

She has been caught in the very act of adultery they say, in bed with, sleeping with, a man who is not her husband. And so they say, according to the Law of Moses, that she should be stoned to death. But where, then, is the man? Obviously, it ‘takes two to tangle’, two people to commit adultery. But somehow the man has ‘escaped’; he isn’t there to ‘face the music’ along with the woman. Somehow, in what is ‘supposed’ to be justice, he is going ‘scot free.’ But then, this isn’t actually about justice at all. It’s a case of justice be damned. This is a purely a political move, an attempt to smear Jesus.

So then, how does Jesus respond? Here Jesus is the master of coolness and calm. He doesn’t lower Himself to their level, not in the least. In fact, He doesn’t even address their reputed reading and interpretation of the Law of Moses. (His detractors would have loved that.) No, He throws them for a loop. He says nothing at all and just kneels down to begin writing in the sand. It isn’t recorded just what He wrote, but that doesn’t end the speculations. Some have suggested that He started writing down the names of some of the people He recognized there in that crowd: if so, that would certainly have been very disconcerting to the named individuals. Be that what it may, what Jesus then said was even more disconcerting. “Whoever is without sin, who has never sinned, let him cast the first stone” (verse 7). At that, He bent down again and resumed His writing. What did He write this time? Some ancient authorities say that He wrote down the sins of each person there. If that was true, it certainly would have pricked their consciences. Anyway, at that, the crowd slowly dispersed, one by one, starting with the oldest among them. Most surely, they all stood convicted for who among them was without sin.

So, what is the value, the teaching of this incident? Is it that God dispenses with seeing that justice is done, and ‘allows’ or condones wrongdoing? I would say that it is nothing of the sort. I would take away from this story three things: firstly, that because of our own frailty, brokenness and sinfulness, we are ill-equipped to stand in judgement, to condemn or accuse our fellow human beings. Secondly, that God, Jesus Christ, is always ready to seemingly err on the side of mercy, especially in the case of someone, like this woman, who has been so ill-used. And thirdly, that God is always interested in giving us another chance, a fresh start. As Jesus said to the woman, “go your way, and from now on do not sin again’. Or, as the New International Version says, “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

What this then says to me is that, just as Jesus is always ready to show us mercy and give us another chance, we should likewise do the same, both to others, and to ourselves. And, in like manner, we should never condemn or ‘write off’ anyone, ourselves included, knowing that God in Christ Jesus stands ever ready to invite us back and invite us on, to a new and renewed and transformed life—even after we have sinned and failed Him. Jesus’ word to the woman applies to us as well, “Go your way and leave your life of sin.” That is what Jesus, in His great love and mercy, says to each of us. Furthermore, it is He, and His amazing, abundance grace, that make this possible. Amen.

Forward notes: “When they kept on questioning him, [Jesus] straightened up and said to them, ‘Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her’” (verse 7).

“Try as I might to cultivate a nonjudgmental heart, the truth is that my heart contains a lot of judgments. Left to my own devices, I judge how other people raise their children. I judge how they drive. I judge all sorts of decisions made by others. And I live in fear that others will turn that same laser beam of judgment on me.

“But Jesus, as always, shows us a better way. When the scribes and Pharisees are eager to punish a woman caught in adultery, Jesus casually wonders aloud which of them is completely free from sin. After they slink away in embarrassment, he tells the woman that he does not condemn her but also that she should not sin again. His message is clear: we are not to judge others for their actions, and if we can build a world free of judgment, we need not fear the judgment of others. Through his own words and actions, Jesus shows that compassion is more effective than judgment at encouraging each of us to abandon our sins and start anew.”

Moving Forward: “Practice compassion, not judgment, today.”