The Adulteress

Hi! and happy holy and family day to all of us, GUYS.  For our first-thing-first this Sunday:

THE GOOD NEWS (13 March 2016)

"As for JESUS, HE went to the Mount of Olives.

At daybreak JESUS appeared in the Temple again.  All the people came to HIM, and HE sat down and began to teach them.

Then the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery.  They made her stand in front of everyone. 

'Master,' they said, 'this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.  Now the Law of Moses orders that such women be stoned to death; but YOU, what do YOU say?  They said this to test JESUS, in order to have some charge against HIM.

JESUS bent down and started writing on the ground with HIS finger.  And as they continued to ask HIM, HE straightened up and said to them, 'Let anyone among you who has no sin be the first to throw a stone at her.'  And HE bent down again, writing on the ground.

As a result of these words, they went away, one by one, starting with the elders, and JESUS was left alone with the woman standing before HIM.  Then JESUS stood up and said to her, 'Woman, where are they?  Has no one condemned you?  She replied, 'No one.'  And JESUS said, 'Neither do I condemn you; go away and don't sin again'." - John 8:1-11 

(The selection 8:1-11 is not found in most ancient manuscripts of John's Gospel.  Many think that this selection is from other sources.  Perhaps it did belong to the Gospel of Luke [compare 8:2 and Luke 21:38] and was later inserted in John's text.

If JESUS showed such respect to the sinner and refused to condemn her, as humans would, was it because HE did not consider her fault grave?  No, it was because GOD uses different ways than people do to bring sinners to repentance and to purify them through suffering.

There is a big difference between telling a person his ideas or deeds are wrong or sinful, and condemning him.  We usually condemn the person; we do not make room for change and mercy.  In this Gospel episode JESUS is both demanding and merciful towards the woman.)