Jesus, the woman accused of adultery, and her accusers (John 8:2-11)

What a callous deed! Dragging a woman before a crowd of people and publicly stating her alleged sin. Such a humiliating, depersonalising and devaluing experience for this woman. And all just as a test for Jesus; this woman … just a means to an end. This outrageous behaviour was perpetrated by certain religious leaders who were unwilling to accept Jesus for who he was. They wanted to bring him down. They were unwilling to have their authority questioned. Their minds were closed to the possibility that Jesus was God. They wanted to create some reason why Jesus would be discredited among the people, and thus they could more easily dispense with him. You could imagine them having clandestine meetings in the middle of the night, trying to come up with a plan.

This scene has all the signs of a set-up, perpetrating gross injustice upon this woman. Where were the required witnesses to such an adultery (Deuteronomy 17:6, 19:15)? Where was the equally guilty man (Leviticus 20:10, Duet. 22:22)? If this woman was guilty, it is more likely that the male was the initiator (perhaps intimidating her into it). But for the accusers, and Jesus testers, she was an easy target! How was it that this woman was “caught” in adultery? Was it a case of entrapment, where the male involved was in the employment of the scribes and Pharisees? The whole charge is suspect, given that it is all about a test! This poor woman was a pawn in a very insidious quest!! Yes, she may have been involved in adultery, but this was not at all appropriate. The accusers were totally unconcerned about this woman’s welfare.

To make it worse, the religious leaders were citing the extreme penalty of death by stoning, which was rarely applied, and never where there were not multiple witnesses. The reason behind the penalty being so strong originally, was trying to protect the social cohesion of the community. Yet, this was clearly not the way of going about promoting social cohesion. This was just plain callous! Yet you could imagine members of the watching crowd joining in with the calls for punishment.

Here was the test being put to Jesus (albeit based on fallacy). If Jesus simply let the woman off, it could be said that he was not upholding God’s law and was lax concerning moral standards. On the other hand, if Jesus condoned the death penalty, then he would be contradicting his teaching on mercy. Jesus had also been known to have extended the definition of adultery beyond the act itself … to the desire (to lust) as well (Matthew 5:27-8) … was this to be a capital offense!?! [This was tricky too because the Roman authorities actually controlled death sentences, and Jesus could be brought in conflict with them here also.] All round, these religious leaders thought they were onto a winner of a plan here … so that Jesus would be compromised! And they kept on pushing!!

What would Jesus do? Well, what did Jesus do! There was an audience waiting with bated breath. Jesus of course knew this was a test, and also knew the corrupt hearts of those seeking to challenge him. Jesus could have inquired further about this woman’s guilt, and if guilty sought statements of repentance. Yet this would not have silenced the religious leaders about the full force of the law; nor would it have critiqued their inappropriate and callous behaviour. As well, unlike these accusers, Jesus would have had uppermost in his mind the future prospects of this woman’s health and well-being.

So Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger. What do you reckon he was doing?? Stalling for time? Building the tension? Doodling … thinking about what he was going to say? Disengaging from the test even (showing contempt because it was so disgraceful)? Or something else entirely? In the exercise of his authority, a Roman judge would write down his sentence before delivering it. Jesus could have been imitating this, but with a twist – rather than writing down the sins and sentence of the woman, writing down the sins and potential sentence of her accusers. For this would be in line with Jesus teaching in Matthew 7:1-2: “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get”. This teaching goes on to remark about the need to remove the log in one’s own eye before worrying about the speck in another’s eye (Matt. 7:3-5).

So in a nutshell, Jesus’ reply would need to put these certain religious leaders in their place and disassemble their attempted test, and also offer this poor woman a hopeful way forward … the way of liberation, healing and salvation (given what had been done to her, a loving ministry to this woman was vital). So to achieve both these aims, Jesus stood up straight and said, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her”. And we read on to see the remarkable impact these words had! There would be no sense of moral laxity, no confusion regarding Jesus’ priority of mercy, no premature trouble with the Romans – brilliant!!

Who has never made a mistake, who has never fallen for temptation, who has never had a weak moment, who has never hurt another, who has never made a bad decision? They all left! All those who were yelling accusations and trying to test Jesus out – they all left!! Not one stone could be thrown!!! The only one who could throw a stone at this woman was (the sinless) Jesus (God incarnate), and he does not! In fact, Jesus shows no inclination at all to throw a stone. Frank Rees, current principal at Whitley College, has described Jesus’ actions here as, “stunning, gutsy, liberating grace”. And, as well, injustice was tackled head-on! Not one person was able to maintain any facade of moral superiority over this woman. The only One who could, only wanted to offer compassion and care.

For people like this woman will never be transformed by condemnation (which causes them to sink further), but only by grace and forgiveness! It is only grace that provides the way of ultimately dealing with one’s tendency to sin. Now just left in view … are Jesus and this vulnerable needy woman – with no-one else to get in the way of quality ministry. An opening has been created through a good measure of love, mercy and concern. The question Jesus asks of this woman (verse 10) is designed to restore this woman’s feeling of equality and sense of value. No other human being is any more worthy than her! Jesus saw the person this woman could become.

How could this woman now experience freedom and salvation and community? By reflecting on what had happened this day, who she had encountered, what had been done for her, and how life for her could look much better. By leaving the past behind and taking a new path. This would be the light-filled and truth-driven path of Jesus. She too, could be a disciple! Jesus brings God to earth, deals with all our sin, and then shows us how to be wholly and truly human. One can continue to ignore one’s situation of lost-ness, or alternatively, open their lives to Jesus. And too, one can continue to be an accuser of others, or alternatively, join the Jesus way as a minister to our neighbours.