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Neither Do I Condemn You
by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson
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on Colossians after Easter
Is this really happening? Jacob ben-Joseph wondered. One minute
a crowd was sitting in the early morning shadow of Solomon's Porch.
Only doves cooing and children playing quietly at the edges of
the crowd were heard besides Jesus' powerful but gentle words
which echoed from the pillars and cobblestones and temple buildings.
People listened in rapt attention.
All of a sudden a woman was screaming, "No, no," as
a group of well-dressed men dragged her through the seated crowd
to where Jesus was sitting. Tears streaked her face, and she
clutched her thin nightclothes to her bosom in terror and embarrassment.
Jesus had stopped trying to teach and waited. The spokesman for
the group--an elderly Pharisee, one would judge by the way he
was dressed--flung a challenge at Jesus. "Teacher,"
he bellowed so all could hear, "this woman was caught in
the very act of adultery. In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone
such women. Now what do you say?"
Jacob recognized the woman now, and in the few seconds it took
for the crowd to quiet again he could see what was happening.
She was from the Essene quarter of Jerusalem, where for months
folks had whispered about her affair with a tradesman from Egypt.
If these Pharisees had really cared about upholding morals, Jacob
knew, they would have arrested her months before. But this morning
they must have broken in on the couple in bed--with the required
two witnesses- -and hauled her into the temple courts just to
put Jesus on the spot. With his reputation for welcoming tax collectors
and prostitutes and sinners to his meetings, the Pharisees were
trying to set him up--Jesus against Moses--and then stand back
to watch him try to wriggle out that.
This would be interesting indeed! Jacob thought.
After the elderly Pharisee's challenge, Jesus, who had been sitting
on the stone courtyard, glanced down from the man's glaring eyes
to the pavement, and began to write--maybe doodle, Jacob thought--in
the dust covering the stones. The Pharisees, furious that he
didn't answer, shifted about and muttered to one another.
Just then Jesus looked up to the old Pharisee towering over him,
"The one of you who is without any sin ... why don't you
throw the first stone at her?" he said quietly. Then he
leaned over and began doodling in the dust again.
Jacob gasped. Amazing! If I am ready to pass sentence on someone
else's sins, what about my own? Who will show me mercy?
The Pharisees were fuming. Jesus had given them permission, but
who would pick up a rock and begin the ritual execution? The
crowd waited to see. Which one would be willing to expose his
life's actions to the scrutiny of his neighbors? Which one would
have the audacity to pretend he was sinless?
The seconds ticked by, and it soon became obvious that nothing
was going to happen after all. The younger Pharisees glanced
up at their elders for a signal. None came. Then the elderly
Pharisee began to edge into the crowd and move away, trying not
to attract attention. The younger men followed as soon as they
could do so without appearing to run. All eyes followed their
retreat till the echo of the last footfall died away.
Jesus looked up at the woman, conspicuous now, standing in front
of the seated multitude. Jesus seemed to address her as if she
were all by herself. "Woman," he asked gently, "where
are your accusers? Has no one passed sentence on you?"
"No one, Lord," she whispered.
"Then neither do I pass sentence on you," the Master
said. "You can go now.... But woman," he added, as
she began to leave, "you must leave your life of sin."
Jacob could almost see her thin body inhale deeply. Hope filled
her eyes. She nodded to Jesus, and began to walk to the temple
gate with the determination of a woman who had finally decided
what to do, and had made up her mind to do it.
Based on the Bible account in John 8:1-11.
See Artwork of Jesus and the Woman Taken in Adultery
Copyright © 1985-2010 Ralph F. Wilson. <pastor
joyfulheart.com> All rights reserved. A single copy of this article is free. Do not put this on a website. See legal, copyright, and reprint information.
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