Throwing Stones - The Woman Caught In Adultery

John 8:1-11

The Pharisees, always out to get Jesus, brought a woman to him who had been caught in adultery. What should they do with her? The whole thing had little to do with the woman. It was a trap.

If Jesus said to let her go, he would be going against Mosaic law, which required that she be stoned to death. (Of course, it said that both the woman and the man should be stoned, but the Pharisees somehow overlooked that.) If Jesus said to stone her, his message of love and compassion would come into serious question.

Jesus wasn’t so easily trapped. Instead of saying, “Stone her” or “Don’t stone her,” he said these famous words: “Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” (John 8:7). It may have taken the Pharisees a few minutes to let that sink in, but finally they sidled away until it was only Jesus and the woman left.

He asked her if there was anyone still condemning her. No, they were gone. “Neither do I,” said Jesus. “Go and sin no more” (John 8:11).

It’s good when it’s just you and Jesus dealing with your sin. You may have people around you pouncing on every misdeed, but let them walk away. Unless they are sin free, they have no place to judge you. The only one who is sinless, Jesus himself, is giving you a new lease on life.

Many of us, however, keep condemning ourselves. We’re good at throwing stones at ourselves. But Jesus makes it clear: he doesn’t condemn. He paid the price on the cross for all your sins, and no one, not even you, has the right to punish you. Jesus wants you to move on. Don’t continue to dwell on your sin. Step forward into your new life.

By the way, this story poses a quandary for scholars. It probably wasn’t part of John’s original Gospel—the earliest manuscripts skip it—but it seems to be an authentic story from Jesus’ ministry. So we can accept it as “bonus material” in our Bible experience, especially since it affirms a basic biblical theme: the wisdom and compassion of Christ.

If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

1 John 1:9