Your Accusers

Scripture: John 8:1-11  (Click link for scripture in Bible Gateway)

1 Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. 3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. 4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” 6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. 9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” (John 8:1–11 NLT)

Jesus was teaching a crowd gathered in the Temple courts. As he was speaking, the Pharisees and teachers of religious law brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They brought her and rudely pushed her to the ground between Jesus and the crowd of people he was teaching. We don’t know what he was teaching, but this story teaches you and me about grace and mercy!

The men who dragged the woman in had no concern for the woman, little concern for her sin, and were really trying to trap Jesus into saying something “against the law.”  They knew of his love and compassion and they were betting they could get him to say something merciful and nail him for it. “The law of Moses says to stone her to death! What do you say?” After what may have been minutes of silence, Jesus looked at them and said, “All right. Kill her. But let the one among you who has never sinned throw the first stone!” One by one they slipped away.

Jesus, the woman, and the crowd remained. Jesus said to her, “I have no interest in condemning you! I do care that you change your behavior, because it will be so much better for you.” Was her sin forgiven? What if, when we see people who have been caught in their sin, we said, “I don’t condemn you!”?

Prayer:

Father, Please may we be “Neither do I condemn you!” Christians. Fill our hearts with compassion for sinners rather than condemnation for their sins. For Jesus’ sake!