3 Sticks And Stones Series

John 8:1-11 (NRSV)

Then everyone went home, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early the next morning he went back to the Temple. All the people gathered around him, and he sat down and began to teach them. 3 The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught committing adultery, and they made her stand before them all. 4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 5 In our Law Moses commanded that such a woman must be stoned to death. Now, what do you say?” 6 They said this to trap Jesus, so that they could accuse him. But he bent over and wrote on the ground with his finger. 7 As they stood there asking him questions, he straightened up and said to them, “Whichever one of you has committed no sin may throw the first stone at her.” 8 Then he bent over again and wrote on the ground. 9 When they heard this, they all left, one by one, the older ones first. Jesus was left alone, with the woman still standing there. 10 He straightened up and said to her, “Where are they? Is there no one left to condemn you?” 11 “No one, sir,” she answered. “Well, then,” Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go, but do not sin again.”

As we continue our Journey of Stones here in Lent, I invite you to feel the stone in your hand. Today we talk about a different group of stones, stones thrown to condemn another person.

In this story, there are three groups of people. The ones accusing. The one being accused. The ones standing by. And there is Jesus. And in order to understand this story we need to know more about these people.

The first obvious group is the Pharisees. We find them in the last chapter seeking Jesus in order to trap him. They even sent Roman Guards to have him arrested, but they came back empty handed. When asked why, they sad that “No one had ever talked that way.” So the Pharisees continued plotting. This passage today was their next attempt to discredit Jesus. They wanted to prove that he was a lawbreaker.

They came together and decided to bring someone before him that he would have to condemn. Quietly plotting, they went to a woman whom they knew was committing adultery. They stood outside of her home, and watched as the man entered. Then, at the appropriate moment, they broke in and found her compromised.

Since there was no husband accusing her, it is likely that she was unmarried. The man she was with was cheating on his wife, not the other way around. She was likely a prostitute.

Casting the man aside, they dragged her out to be judged and stoned to death. Caught in the act, but the man was set free, and the woman was to be punished. Likely the man was rich, or powerful, or maybe even one of them.

At most, she would be covered with a blanket. Possibly she would not even be allowed that level of protection.

And they did this for a single reason. It wasn’t because she had committed adultery. It wasn’t because she had sinned. It was because they hated Jesus and wanted to trap him.

The woman was just a pawn. Killing her meant nothing to them. Are there people in your life whom you condemn without a trial? Are there people who you use to try to show your superiority? Are there people, like the prostitute, who you feel do not deserve your love and compassion?

There is a passage that comes to mind as Jesus discusses judging others: The words of Matthew 7:1-5

7 “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. 2 For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. 3 Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.

The second person in this text is the woman. Caught. In. The. Act. Of. Adultery. In the act.

Picture her that morning, knowing her lover is coming to be with her. She carefully dresses, puts on her makeup, and prepares for him. As he walks in, he embraces her, making her feel like someone special. She knows it is wrong, but she is willing to allow this because she has no one else.