Sunday Praise & Worship 10:00
Christian Education - 10:00 - Casual Dress - Loving Childcare
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Most of us have some familiarity with this story, even if it is only that we know the saying, “Let the one without sin cast the first stone.” Sometimes this familiarity prevents us from seeing beyond the surface level of condemning self-righteousness and the morality tale of sinning no more. Kept at the surface, we can avoid the story’s implications for our own lives. Today, let’s allow the story to question us as we imagine ourselves in the scene of the story itself.
Before we do that, however, some background information will help us better understand the situation. First of all, scholars sometimes call this type of story a conflict-resolution story, since it places Jesus in conflict with the religious authorities of the day. (Here’s a helpful hint: whenever you read “Scribes and Pharisees” or “teachers of the law,” read instead “I” or “me.” It allows the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to see our own implication in the conflict.) It’s ironic that the Pharisees call Jesus “Teacher” because they intend to discredit his teaching with this conflict. Their trap involves placing Jesus in a difficult position. To refuse to stone the woman, he must go against their interpretation of Mosaic law. However, Roman law, to which they are also subject, prohibits any other group from carrying out capital punishment. So, in the minds of his challengers, they put Jesus in a lose-lose situation.
These challengers, though, overlook a couple of critical details about the law, in addition to missing the whole point of the law, loving God with all of your heart and loving our neighbor as ourselves. By doing so, they demonstrate that they do not care about the woman but instead manipulate her as a pawn in their power game. In their haste to test Jesus, they forget that the law calls for at least two or three witnesses. (See Deuteronomy 17:6.) They also ignore the male partner when the law explicitly states that both should be punished. (See Deuteronomy 22:22.) Also, the Mishnah, which comprised rabbinic interpretation of the law between 135 BCE and Jesus’ day, only called upon the man to be punished, in keeping with the ancient understanding of women as legal property. These oversights highlight the fact that the challengers misunderstood the purpose of the law in its attempt to facilitate proper relationships.
In response to the challenge, Jesus disengages. His non-verbal response of writing on the ground signals his refusal to answer the question as the Pharisees pose it. When he finally answers their challenge, Jesus shifts the focus from legality to sin, including their own. “Let those who have never sinned throw the first stones,” he says. In this way, he levels the playing field, putting the Pharisees on the same theological ground as the woman, refusing to let them use her as an object and instead raising her to the position of one loved by God. He then resumes writing on the ground, giving the challengers the space they need to come to terms with his response, until they all leave.
Then, Jesus stands to address the woman directly. Instead of
focusing on her past and her sin, he points out that no one is left to condemn
her, and neither will he. In this way, Jesus offers both the woman and the
Pharisees a chance to break away from the past and live into a new future filled
with freedom and acquittal and the changed lives that result. Having challenged
both the law and those who assumed the authority to interpret and enforce the
law, Jesus establishes his identity as the one who can forgive and offer the
freedom of a new life. By reading this story, we come to know Jesus more and
hear also the on-going invitation into a new life of relationship with Jesus. Questions and Exercises for Reflection
1—Now that you know some of the background of the story, try to place yourself in it. First, you can try to imagine what it would look like as a bystander. Try to picture the angry and self-righteous Pharisees. See what the frightened woman looks like. Look at the stones the men carry. Then, notice Jesus. What does he look like to you? What expressions mark his face? How do you hear his tone of voice? What else do you notice about the scene? If you could approach Jesus after the encounter, what would you want to ask him? 2—Then, the second time through, try to imagine yourself as the Pharisees. Where in your life do you feel tempted to angry self-righteousness? Whom do you judge as sinner? With whom are you so angry that you want to throw stones? Allow yourself to be in Jesus’ presence and feel that anger. What do you notice about Jesus as you see yourself in this role in the story? 3—Finally, try to imagine yourself as the woman. Look at the faces of those who judge you. Who is judging you? How does it feel to be judged? What area of your life needs Jesus’ forgiving touch? How would your life be different if you saw yourself not as one condemned but as one forgiven and set free to live a new life? How is your relationship with Christ? Spend some time at the end of this exercise talking with Jesus and listening to his loving response. 4—How did the Holy Spirit speak to you in worship today?
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Key verse: John 8:10-11 “Then Jesus stood up again and said to
the woman, ‘Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?’ ‘No,
Lord,’ she said. And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I. Go and sin no more.’”