a woman caught in adultery
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Jn 8:1-11
1Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2But
early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the
people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. 4They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 5Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”
6They said this to test him, so that they could have some
charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the
ground with his finger. 7But when they continued asking him,
he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is
without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. 10Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 12She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, [and] from now on do not sin any more.”
TO TEST HIM.
A woman caught in adultery is brought before Jesus. She is being used
as an object to trap Jesus and have him commit a crime for which they
can justly have him killed. This is reminiscent of other attempts to
trap him, as when Jesus was asked about paying taxes to the Roman
emperor (cf Mk 12:13-17 and parallels).
The
scribes and the Pharisees believe they have Jesus trapped. If Jesus
approves of the death penalty prescribed in the law of Moses (cf Lv
20:10; Dt 22:22), he will contradict his own preaching of forgiveness.
If Jesus declares the woman innocent, he will be in direct defiance of
the Jewish law.
Instead
of replying, Jesus bends down and begins to write on the ground with
his finger. When they persist in asking, Jesus straightens up and
challenges the self-righteousness of the woman’s would-be executioners,
forcing them to confront their own sinfulness and hypocrisy. The
accusers melt away, beginning with the elders. Looking into their own
hearts, they see revealed their own sinfulness.
Judge yourself in the light of the Gospel.
To what extent do you find yourself guilty?
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