The Root of the Issue Day 8

Remember the story of the Woman Caught in Adultery? Today’s reflection reminds me of this story.

Jesus is always teaching us in ways we can understand. Or at the least the people who walked the earth when he did, he used common themes to teach deep spiritual truths.

In this story a man and a woman decided together to enter into an act that if they were caught would led to the death of that woman.

So the question to me is; Why? Why would that woman put herself in that situation? She knew the consequences of her actions and yet did it anyway.

Makes me ponder the reasons why I and others make choices that we know will get us into hot water. Perhaps not literally stoned to death, but maybe verbally stoned or become the talk of the town.

Why do we do it? This is a common theme throughout the ages, since the beginning of mankind, people are people, we haven’t changed that much.

So what is Our Lord trying to tell us…..not to get caught….no I think this story, it trying to tell us many things.

What immediately comes to mind is; Jesus trying to get this woman to look inside herself and uncover the root cause as to why she participated in the act in the first place.

Jesus is always trying to get us to ‘see’ things about ourselves that we could do without or do better. He wants us to keep looking and pondering until we get to the cause or root. Remember He made us, with all our strengths and weaknesses. He knows us, he wants us to know ourselves by looking within.

The next part of the story are all the men gathered round with stones in their hands. All the while Jesus drawing in the dirt. This scene makes me wonder, why those men are so upset.

Is it because the ‘Law’ was broken? Or could it be the age old abnegation of responsibility which makes them so mad? They know it takes two to tango!

Did you ever become so angry over someone else’s sinfulness and stop and ask yourself why you are so angry? Chances are because their behavior strikes something in our own behavior that is sinful and we don’t like it.

We see Jesus bring this to light when He says, “Let the one among you, who is without sin, cast the first stone.”

Exposing the root of the issue by making them look within. He is asking us to do the same.

Realizing that all are sinful, they drop their stones and walk away. He then turns to the woman and shows her that no one is left to condemn her and He doesn’t condemn here either.

Jesus doesn’t condemn her for her sinfulness!!! He doesn’t condemn us for our sinfulness!!

Once we realize, or are shown our own sinful tendencies…Jesus says, “Go and sin no more.”

Deep spiritual truths in simple stories.

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