Embedded Files
Go and sin no more
At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
______________________
Once again the religious leaders attempt to put Jesus in a trap of contradiction.
However, Jesus does not judge her, but instead extends forgiveness and grace.
He does not punish her, but instead admonishes her to leave in a different way than she arrived -- to live a changed life as a response to the grace that has been shown to her.
Those who are familiar with Les Misérables will see in this scripture the same kindness that was extended to Valjean from the Bishop of Digne. Valjean was on parole, having just been released from prison. When others had turned their backs on him, the bishop extended brotherly kindness to Valjean and offered a meal and lodging for the night. In the middle of the night Valjean left and took the household supply of silver with him. Shortly thereafter he was caught by the police and returned to the bishop for punishment. Instead, the bishop had pity on Valjean and rather than throw him back in jail, lavished on him even more silver, instructing him that he had purchased his soul for God and that he needed to live a changed life in return. This causes a great conflict in Valjean as he has been in prison so long that he questions his own ability to reform. But he pledges to do so and this begins the great epic of the rest of the story.
God's love reaches and extends to us in the midst of whatever our present condition is. But He doesn't want us to stay that way.
Google Sites
Report abuse