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Flashback: Caught in the Act
by Mary Kassian
The woman had been caught in the act of adultery. Jewish law demanded her execution, but Rome had removed capital jurisdiction from Jewish courts, except for temple violations. It was the perfect predicament with which to trap Jesus.
The Jewish leaders dragged the woman into the temple and threw her down at Jesus’ feet. Would he reject Jewish law, compromising his patriotic Jewish following? Or reject Roman rule, which would allow the religious leaders to accuse him to the Romans? Either way, he’d be in deep trouble. They were sure of it.
But Jesus avoided their trap. He left the matter to each man’s conscience by inviting the person without sin to throw the first stone. The withdrawal of the accusers from the eldest downwards heightens the point of the story. Jesus had caught all of them in the act – they were all guilty. No one was blameless. One by one they turned and walked away. In the end, only Jesus remained.
Jesus could have thrown the first stone. He was the only one qualified. But he didn’t. In compassion he drew the woman to her feet, forgave her, and challenged her to forsake her sinful ways and make a new start.
1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
7But 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, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9At 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. 10Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
11"No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
Related Reading: Are you looking for forgiveness?