8. Defender of the weak
| 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." John8:3-11 |
- Is it the audacity of the law-teachers in bringing only the woman for judgement? (How do you commit adultery alone?)
- Is it that you wonder what Jesus wrote in the sand? Most suggest that it was a set of mnemonics that represented the Ten Commandments. But I think that Jesus wrote in the sand to take their eyes off the woman who probably only had a sheet wrapped around her.
- Is it His eyes of holy purity as He challenges anyone who was sinless to cast the first stone?
- Is it the thudding sound of stones dropping and the sight of gray bearded heads shaking in denial as one by one the teachers drop their stones and walk away?
- Is it that moment that the woman and Jesus are left alone in the road and, as she looks into His eyes, she realises that He could throw the first stone, but that He isn't going to?
- Is it that incredible moment where she hears the life-saving words: "Neither do I condemn you - go and leave your life of sin" ?
I don't know which your favourite moment is. But I love this picture of Jesus the defender of the weak. The woman is a victim - she is defenceless against the teachers. She's not perfect, but she is loved. Jesus beautifully and elegantly deals with injustice and corruption.
I think my favourite scene, as I imagine the story, is the scene on the street with Jesus standing in the middle of a circle of dropped stones watching the woman walk away with a renewed purpose and direction in her life. I imagine His face: Content, Satisfied, Hopeful, Determined and Loving.
This is our Saviour!
