Lent Week 6
He took the Stone
John 8: 2 - 11
2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
In John 8:1-11, Jesus faces a woman caught in adultery, brought before him by religious leaders attempting to entrap him. Their insistence on adhering to Mosaic law, which demands stoning for such transgressions, prompts Jesus to respond with wisdom and grace.
Rather than condemning the woman outright, Jesus turns the tables on her accusers: "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." This statement shifts their focus from judgment to introspection, revealing their own hypocrisy and need for grace.
It's crucial not to misinterpret Jesus' refusal to condemn the woman as a rejection of God's moral laws. He doesn't dismiss the law; instead, He willingly accepts the judgment meant for her upon himself. By receiving the stones - symbolized by the cross - that were intended for her, He showcases the profound love of God, who sent his Son not to condemn the world but to save it (John 3:17).
In His encounter with the adulterous woman, Jesus embodies the harmonization of God's justice and mercy. He doesn't trivialize sin but offers a path to repentance and forgiveness. Instead of condemnation, the woman receives a word of grace: "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."
This narrative urges us to reflect on our attitudes toward sin and judgment. Do we rush to condemn others while ignoring our own flaws? Do we extend the same grace we've received from God to those who've wronged us?
Ultimately, the story of the adulterous woman directs us to the cross, where Jesus bore the judgment we deserved. Through his death and resurrection, we discover hope and redemption. May we encounter Jesus' grace and extend it to others, recognizing that we too are beneficiaries of undeserved mercy.
Rather than condemning the woman outright, Jesus turns the tables on her accusers: "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." This statement shifts their focus from judgment to introspection, revealing their own hypocrisy and need for grace.
It's crucial not to misinterpret Jesus' refusal to condemn the woman as a rejection of God's moral laws. He doesn't dismiss the law; instead, He willingly accepts the judgment meant for her upon himself. By receiving the stones - symbolized by the cross - that were intended for her, He showcases the profound love of God, who sent his Son not to condemn the world but to save it (John 3:17).
In His encounter with the adulterous woman, Jesus embodies the harmonization of God's justice and mercy. He doesn't trivialize sin but offers a path to repentance and forgiveness. Instead of condemnation, the woman receives a word of grace: "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."
This narrative urges us to reflect on our attitudes toward sin and judgment. Do we rush to condemn others while ignoring our own flaws? Do we extend the same grace we've received from God to those who've wronged us?
Ultimately, the story of the adulterous woman directs us to the cross, where Jesus bore the judgment we deserved. Through his death and resurrection, we discover hope and redemption. May we encounter Jesus' grace and extend it to others, recognizing that we too are beneficiaries of undeserved mercy.
Posted in Lent
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