I am following the read the bible in a year plan with Donna over at Soul Survival and the following was one of my readings during the week.
John 8:2-12 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say? This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.
So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them,“He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it,being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”
She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
Now I know that I have read this passage before, I don’t know how many times but it wasn’t until this morning that I actually READ IT.
This woman was caught in sin and the normal punishment was stoning. That sounds quite severe but it was how it happened back then.
They brought her to Jesus for judgement and he came back with the statement about those who are without sin casting the first stone.
Everyone went away and the woman was left with Jesus, no one was capable of throwing that stone because no one is without sin.
The only one capable of throwing that stone was Jesus. The only one who knew no sin and had the right to judge her and condemn her to stoning was Jesus.
But Jesus said to her “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
Makes me wonder what right I have to judge and condemn others around me.
Definitely something to contemplate…
You will find this post linked up at some of these wonderful blogs.