Jesus forgives rather than condemns

JESUS FORGIVES RATHER THAN CONDEMNS

Jn. 8:1-11

The Scribes and Pharisees wanted to make Jesus look bad in the eyes of the people, so they presented Him with the case of a woman they had caught in the very act of adultery.  We can just picture the scene.  Jesus is sitting in the Temple area surrounded by His Apostles and a crowd of people.  The Scribes and Pharisees arrived, holding this woman between them like a prisoner.  They left her standing in full view of everyone.  Her head was downcast.  Her hair covered her tear-stained face.  She was afraid and ashamed.  She just wanted the earth below her to open and swallow her up.

Our gaze focuses on the spokesman of the Scribes and Pharisees.  His whole attitude is one of defiance.  With his legs apart and hands placed on his hips, he boldly says to Jesus, "Master, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery, and Moses has ordered us in the Law to condemn women like this to death by stoning.  What do You to say?"  And no doubt he thinks, "Now, let us see how You, the so-called friend of sinners, can wriggle out of this one?"  This delegation was so sure they had trapped Jesus and that there was no possible way He could escape.  Little did they know the intellectual calibre of Jesus.  They thought, if He says she is to be stoned, He can no longer call Himself the friend of sinners, and there will be a collision with the Roman authorities who alone have the power to sentence anyone to death.  If He says that she is not to be stoned He will be breaking the Law of Moses.  They were so convinced that whatever He said they had Him trapped.

What was Jesus' immediate reaction?  Jesus bent down and with His finger calmly wrote in the sand.  Here is a tactic we can learn from Jesus if we want to win an argument.  Don't act in haste, act calmly.  At this point His accusers grew impatient.  They drew nearer.  Their spokesman couldn't wait to see Jesus embarrassed and looking bad before the people.

Jesus stopped doodling.  He looked up at the woman's accusers.  Calmly and deliberately, and to make sure that no one missed a word He said, "If there is one of you who has not sinned, let him be the first one to throw a stone at her."  And now to save their embarrassment He continued writing on the ground. The people just couldn't believe what they were witnessing.  One by one beginning with the eldest they made their exit.  They were lost in amazement at the masterful way Jesus had won this argument.

This incident shows the difference in attitudes of the Scribes and Pharisees and that of Jesus towards the sinner.  Their concept of authority is to criticise, censure and condemn.  Whereas Jesus wanted to use His authority in reclaiming the sinner.  He wanted to show sympathy and understanding to her.  Any authority that is just concerned with punishment is the wrong exercise of authority.  Any authority which drives a wrong-doer either to despair or bitter resentment is a failure.  The Scribes and Pharisees looked on this woman as a thing.  It didn't occur to them that she had a heart and feelings.  They used her as a mere tool to trap Jesus.

From this incident we see Jesus saying, "You can only judge someone if you yourself are faultless."  In other words, only God has the right to judge.  In the news media we witness many horrible things about the evils of which people are guilty.  By all means condemn the sin, but let us not be too harsh in our condemnation of the sinner.  Perhaps one of the reasons why we fear what judgement we will receive from God is that subconsciously we project upon God our own manner of judging.  God does not judge as we do.  We should be overjoyed that it is He who will judge us and not one of our fellow human beings.  God is infinitely more understanding and forgiving than human beings could ever possibly be.  He understands the weakness of our human condition.  He knows the secret workings of the human heart.  He knows people’s motives.  We should cry out to Him in great confidence, "Thank You, Lord, for the great understanding and mercy You show me."

Jesus is also teaching us that the first emotion we must show someone who has done wrong is compassion.  Isn't that the treatment we would like to be shown whenever we sin?

When all her accusers had departed, the woman stood alone with Jesus as the crowd looked on.  Perhaps she had not heard them leave one by one.  Jesus gently said to her, "Woman, where are they?  Has no one condemned you?"  She could not take in the words of Jesus.  Slowly, she raised her tear stained face, brushed the hair from her eyes and was amazed to see them all gone.  With what relief she said, "No one, Sir."  Jesus smiled at her and said, "Neither do I condemn you, go away, and don't sin anymore."  How can we put into words the gratitude she had for Jesus in her heart?

Here we see Jesus giving the woman a second chance.  He said to her in effect, "I know you are sorry and I know you have made a mess of your life, but remember your life is not over.  You can still change your ways."  For Jesus life is not only the past.  It has a future.  Jesus can always see the saint in the sinner.

Knowing how Jesus treats the sinner, we should not be indifferent or careless about sin in our lives.  Rather it should make us realise that the repentance to which we are called during Lent is really worthwhile.  Jesus says to each one of us, "Sin no more and be at peace with God and yourself and your neighbour."

Lord Jesus, we can be certain that our sincere, honest effort to avoid sin with God's grace will win from You the response, "Neither do I condemn you."

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