Season of
Great Fast
Fifth Sunday: JOHN 8:1-11
SALVATION FOR SINFUL WOMAN
INTRODUCTION
Jesus was a controversial figure because of his
innovative teaching that was incongruent with that of the scribes and
Pharisees. While he was in the Temple for the feast of the Tabernacle,
the enemies attempted to trap him by dragging a woman caught in adultery
and asking his opinion about stoning her according to the Law of Moses.
Jesus could be in trouble regardless of his positive or negative answer.
The wise approach of Jesus was to write on the ground something that
would incite the thought of the enemies. When the adversaries insisted
on his reply, Jesus ordered, "Let the one among you who is without sin
be the first to throw a stone at her." Recognizing their sinful state,
they left the place. Jesus let the woman go with the advice, “from now
on do not sin anymore.” Thus, Jesus proved that the sinners and the
“righteous” are guilty before God and all need conversion of heart.
During this season of Great Fast, let us leave behind our self-righteous
approach, acknowledge our sins, and clean up our souls with the
Sacrament of Reconciliation. We should free ourselves from judging
others. Like Jesus, let us be compassionate to the weak and sinners
aiming for their conversion.
BIBLE TEXT (JOHN 8:1-11 )
(Jn 8:1) while Jesus went
to the Mount of Olives. (2) But 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. (3) Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a
woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle.
(4) They said to him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of
committing adultery. (5) Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone
such women. So what do you say?" (6) They 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. (7) But 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." (8)
Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. (9) And in response, they
went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone
with the woman before him. (10) Then Jesus straightened up and said to
her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" (11) She
replied, "No one, sir." Then Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go,
(and) from now on do not sin any more."
INTERPRETATION
Jesus came to Jerusalem for the feast of
Tabernacles (Dt 16:13-16) which was a feast for seven days of
thanksgiving after the harvest. Jesus became a controversial figure
among the Jewish elites, and they had conspired to assassinate him (Jn
7:1). So, he came in secret to Jerusalem for the feast and entered the
temple area when the feast was half over (Jn 7:14). The Jews were amazed
at Jesus’ knowledge of scripture, though he had no formal education (Jn
7:15-18). Jesus justified his healing of the sick on the sabbath
claiming that if circumcision was done on the sabbath, he could heal the
sick on the sabbath (Jn 7:21-23). Because of their disagreement with
Jesus, the chief priests and Pharisees attempted to arrest Jesus using
Temple guards (Jn 7:32). By the end of the feast, Jesus proclaimed
himself as the living water (Jn 7:37). The crowd was disputing on the
messiahship of Jesus and were divided on the issue (Jn 7:40-43).
Meanwhile, the Jewish authorities continued their allegations against
Jesus. By the evening, Jesus moved to the Mount of Olives, where he used
to pray and relax.
Teaching About Adultery
(Jn 8:1) while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
The Mount of Olives is a hill about one mile east
of Jerusalem. Zechariah 14:4 mentions it as the place where the Lord
would appear to rescue Jerusalem from the enemy nations. Jesus’ last
entry to the Temple was from this mountain. Bethphage, “the house of
figs,” Bethany, “the house of dates,” and Gethsemane that stands for
“the oil-press” were part of the Mount of Olives where olive trees were
plenty. Jesus used to go there for prayer, for night rest (Lk 21:37),
and to be free from his adversaries and the crowd. The soldiers later
arrested Jesus here while he was praying at the Garden of Gethsemane (Mt
26:36-57).
(2) But 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.
early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area
After communion with his Father and night rest,
Jesus came back from the Mount of Olives with regained strength to face
the crowd and the enemies again at the Temple premises. He could reach
there early in the morning because the Mount of Olives was near the
Temple. Though there were attempts to arrest Jesus for his
assassination, he was bold enough to return there. He knew his time had
not arrived and so the enemies could not arrest him until he let them do
so.
all the people started coming to him
Since that was the end of the feast of Tabernacles,
people from all over the Holy Land and abroad were already in Jerusalem.
They were enthusiastic to meet Jesus as soon as he came to the Temple.
Jesus was also passionate about sharing his gospel before his
crucifixion.
and he sat down and taught them.
The sitting of Jesus was symbolic of his
authoritative teaching because the Rabbis used to teach while sitting.
He was bold to do so even in the Temple area where his adversaries were
threatening his life, accusing him of misleading the people (Lk 23:2).
(3) Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle.
the scribes and the Pharisees
The scribes were specialists in
studying, copying, and interpreting the Holy Scripture. They flourished
from the time of Babylonian exile to the destruction of the second
Temple in 70 A.D. Though some of them were priests like Ezra (Ezra
7:5-6), Levites and common people also became scribes. They were also
experts in the judicial procedures and served the Sanhedrin. The wise
scribes were also titled as Rabbi. The Jews respected them because of
their knowledge in the Bible, dedicated service, and adherence to the
Laws. They gained authority among the Jews and joined Pharisees in
opposing Jesus for his liberal approach to man-made laws.
Pharisee in Hebrew means “separate” or “detach”
because this group had separated themselves from the ordinary people in
their strict religious observances. They were against the Hellenistic
influence of the Jewish religion. Besides the laws given through Moses,
the Pharisees developed their own interpretations and applications of
the Law. They gave importance to the traditional rituals that were not
in the Mosaic laws but were handed over by the elders of previous
generations claiming that they were also of divine origin. This group
originated during the post-exilic times when there was a thirst for
maintaining the purity of Judaism according to the written laws and oral
traditions. Though some Pharisees appreciated the teachings of Jesus and
invited him for dinner (Luke 7:36-50; 14:1), many of them objected him
because he did not strictly stick on to their man-made rituals and
traditions. So, along with the scribes, they challenged Jesus.
The Great Sanhedrin, the socio-political and
judicial council of the Jews, comprised the scribes and Pharisees. They
met in the Hall of Hewn Stones in the Temple. The scribes and Pharisees
who brought the adulterous woman must be some members of the Sanhedrin
trying to find fault with Jesus.
brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle.
Those who dragged the woman
claimed that they had enough proof of guilt to sentence her because they
caught her in the very act of adultery. She could be sentenced to death
according to the Law of Moses to get rid of such evil from the society.
“If a man is discovered lying with a woman who is married to another,
they both shall die, the man who was lying with the woman as well as the
woman. Thus shall you purge the evil from Israel” (Deut 22:22).
The scribes and Pharisees might have purposefully
caught a sinful woman to test Jesus. Their target was not the adulterous
woman, but Jesus. They were frustrated with him and disappointed that
they could not arrest him the day before because of his popular support.
They planned to trap Jesus in the crowd's presence around him. So, they
forcefully dragged the woman and made her stand in the middle of Jesus
and his listeners. They wished the public to know how Jesus was
responding so they could accuse him in their midst, regardless of his
positive or negative response.
(4) They said to him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery.
The scribes and Pharisees
respectfully introduced the woman to Jesus, hiding their shrewd
intention. Their statement of grabbing the woman in the very act of
adultery implied that they already had at least two witnesses as per law
to judge her (Deut 19:15).
(5) Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?"
Stoning until death was one of
the capital punishments for grave sins like cursing God (Lev 24:10-16),
idolatry (Deut 17:2-7), seducing others for idolatry (Deut 13:7-12),
giving offspring to Molech (Lev 20:2), breaking the Sabbath (Num
15:32-36), stubborn and rebellious son (Deut 21:18-21), and various
sex-related sins (Deut 22:13-21, 23-27). The execution was done only
after thorough investigation (Deut 17:4) and proper trial before the
elders or the Sanhedrin with at least two witnesses (Deut 17:6). They
were the first ones to stone the culprit during the execution (Deut
17:7).
There were several attempts to
stone Jesus because of his Messianic claim. By the end of his preaching
in the synagogue in Nazareth, his listeners “rose up, drove him out of
the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had
been built, to hurl him down headlong” (Lk 4:29). This method also
involved throwing stones after the culprit falls down. While teaching in
the Temple, the Jews “picked up stones to throw at him” (Jn 8:59). “The
Jews again picked up rocks to stone him” (Jn 10:31). Jesus escaped all
such attempts because his time had not arrived. Stephen was stoned to
death and became the first martyr of the church (Acts 7:54-60).
(6) They 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.
They said this to test him
Though the
question seemed innocent, the goal of the scribes and Pharisees was to
test Jesus. The Jewish elites had tested Jesus several times during his
public ministry. The following are some of them:
1. “The Pharisees and Sadducees came and, to test
him, asked him to show them a sign from heaven” (Mt 16:1).
2. “Some Pharisees approached him, and tested him,
saying, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause
whatever?’” (Mt 19:3; also Mk 10:2).
3. The Pharisees, trying to entrap Jesus, asked
him, “‘Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?’ Knowing
their malice, Jesus said, ‘Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?’” (Mt
22:15-18).
4. A Pharisee who was a scholar of the law “tested
him by asking, ‘Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’”
(Mt 22:35-36).
5. “Again he entered the synagogue. There was a man
there who had a withered hand. They (the Pharisees) watched him closely
to see if he would cure him on the sabbath so that they might accuse
him” (Mk 3:1-2).
6. “The Pharisees came forward and began to argue
with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him” (Mk 8:11).
7. “There was a scholar of the law who stood up to
test him and said, ‘Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’”
(Lk 10:25).
Thus, besides the test in the desert immediately
after the baptism, and at Gethsemane towards the end of his life on
earth, Jesus had several tests through his adversaries. He was
successful in every attempt. In the Lord’s prayer, he taught us to pray
to the Father, “do not subject us to the test, but deliver us from the
evil one” (Mt 6:13).
Tests and obstacles can happen in our spiritual
journey through our family members, friends, or foes. Jesus’ relatives
did not believe in him (Jn 7:5). After the first prediction of Jesus on
his passion, death, and resurrection, Simon Peter rebuked him, “‘God
forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.’ He turned and
said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are
thinking not as God does, but as human beings do’” (Mt 16:22-23). Such
setbacks did not hinder Jesus in accomplishing his mission.
so that they could have some charge to bring against him.
The scribes and Pharisees were cunningly using the
adulterous woman to find fault with Jesus in public and present him as a
false prophet or one against the Roman rule. He had three options:
1. Positive answer: If Jesus had favored to stone
her until death, they could accuse him of hypocrisy, because he was
teaching and practicing forgiveness. Another accusation for a positive
reply could be the violation of Roman law. Though Moses prescribed
capital punishment, Rome had taken away that authority from the Jews.
During the trial of Jesus, Pilate said to the Jews, “‘Take him
yourselves, and judge him according to your law.’ The Jews answered him,
‘We do not have the right to execute anyone’” (Jn 18:31). So, a
favorable reply to the enemies could cause him trouble.
2. Negative reply: If Jesus asked to free the woman
with a warning to sin no more, he could be accused of violating the Law
of Moses. The Sanhedrin could then act on him
3. Legal approach: Jesus could send the woman to
the Roman authorities for judgement. Then he could be accused of siding
with the Romans against the interests of the Jews.
Jesus bent down
When the scribes and Pharisees brought
the woman caught in adultery, Jesus was teaching the crowd sitting like
other rabbis. So, he could effortlessly stoop down to write on the
ground.
began to write on the ground with his finger.
Why did Jesus took a neutral stand, avoiding
condemnation of the sinful woman?
1. The Law of Moses was binding for both the woman
and man who were involved in the adultery. However, the scribes and
Pharisees did not catch the man who committed the sin with her. That was
an error from the part of the scribes and Pharisees according to Deut
22:22-24.
2. The Law required two witnesses to pronounce
capital punishment (Deut 17:6; 19:15). The scribes and the Pharisees did
not present the witnesses. Jesus could guess that they were catching the
woman to test his integrity and the poor woman would become a martyr for
that. He did not want the woman to be a prey of the rivalry of his
enemies.
3. Jesus declined to favor the opposing policies of
the Jewish leaders to assassinate her, and the Roman authorities’ law of
not killing the adulterous. He wanted to expose the sinful nature of the
self-righteous leaders and to save the woman’s life and soul.
4. Jesus came not to judge the sinners but to save
them (Lk 5:32). His teaching was, “Stop judging and you will not be
judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you
will be forgiven” (Lk 6:37). He will judge and condemn the sinners only
at his second coming (Matthew 25:31-46). Jesus’ goal was to save the
woman from her sinful state.
5. Jesus felt pity on the woman who was scared to
death. She might have been compelled to be an adulterous because of her
poverty, rape by someone, or sexual abuse. In such a case, she could be
innocent. Jesus wanted to give her a chance to renew her life.
6. Jesus wished to hold a mirror on the accusers on
how sinful they were while they attempted to judge the woman. Instead of
correcting their sinful lives, they were seeking to kill the woman
without investigating her situation. In his silence, he expressed what
he taught during the sermon on the mount: “You hypocrite, remove the
wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the
splinter from your brother’s eye” (Mt 7:5).
Instead of directly answering the question of the
scribes and Pharisees, Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his
finger. The evangelist does not clarify why Jesus did that and what he
wrote.
Why Jesus wrote on the ground with his finger?
The Bible does not give any other instance when
Jesus wrote anywhere. However, in the Old Testament, we have the Ten
Commandments God inscribed on stone tablets with His finger. “Moses then
turned and came down the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant
in his hands, tablets that were written on both sides, front and back.
The tablets were made by God; the writing was the writing of God,
engraved on the tablets” (Ex 32:15-16). The same God incarnate wrote on
the ground with his finger, reminding the scribes and Pharisees that he
was the same God who wrote the commandments on the stone tablets.
Sand or dust could be present on the pavement of
the Temple. The stone tablets God inscribed on Mount Sinai were
permanent laws. The writings on the sand were temporary but touched the
hearts of the opponents. Hence, they left the woman unpunished and did
not assault Jesus. The new law Jesus introduced is inscribed on human
hearts. God had talked about the Messianic age through Jeremiah, “I will
place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts” (Jer 31:33).
The writing on the dust from which humans are created might remind Jesus’ onlookers of the transcendence of life in this world. Like the writing on the sand, our life in this world will be erased and forgotten. We have to be kind to others and seek eternal life by being merciful to the sinners.
What did Jesus write on the ground?
The evangelist did not document what Jesus wrote on
the ground. Whatever it be, that made the people who came
enthusiastically to execute death penalty on the adulterous woman leave
in shame. Jesus knew their inner hearts. “The LORD searches all hearts
and understands all the mind’s thoughts” (1 Chr 28:9). Using his divine
knowledge, Jesus might have written their wrongdoings, which were more
serious than that of the adulterous woman.
(7) But 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."
they continued asking him
The accusers of the adulterous woman
became impatient with the response of Jesus. Instead of giving a
negative or positive answer to their question, Jesus was writing on the
floor. They kept insisting on a verbal response. More than stoning the
woman, they were eager to pass judgement on Jesus based on his answer.
he straightened up
Since Jesus was stooping down to write
while being seated, he straightened up to look at his adversaries.
"Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."
Jesus did not deny the seriousness of the sin of
adultery. The woman deserved punishment, as Moses prescribed. Jesus knew
the moral state of the scribes and Pharisees who brought the adulterous
woman. They were also sinners, even worse than the adulterous woman. So,
the implied questions in Jesus’ command were: “Don’t you commit
adultery?” “Were some of you partners in her sin?” “How virtuous are you
to judge her?”
According to Moses, “The hands of the witnesses
shall be the first raised to put the person to death, and afterward the
hands of all the people” (Deut 17:7). Jesus changed this by demanding
anyone who is without the same sin to throw the first stone on the
woman. If Jesus had meant one with no sin, that would abolish judiciary
system because all people, including judges, commit sin (Rom 3:23).
Those who found fault with the sinner were sinful themselves. Probably
some of them might have sinned with her and so brought her to Jesus with
no accomplice. Jesus knew their immoralities and asked them to judge
their own spiritual status before stoning the accused woman.
(8) Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.
Jesus did not expect an instant action
from them because he raised a heart-probing demand. He allowed them time
to examine their conscience. Some manuscripts add, saying, “he wrote on
the ground the sins of each of them.”
(9) And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him.
And in response, they went away one by one
The Jews who came to trap Jesus and
execute the woman for adultery found themselves as sinners. They
acknowledged their weakness nonverbally by leaving the place, probably
dropping the stones they brought with them to stone the woman. One by
one shows theirs were individual decisions to disclose their
unworthiness to punish the woman.
beginning with the elders.
The younger ones among the Jews might
have been waiting for the reaction of the elders. The seniors became
role models to youngsters to admit their sinful status. Because of their
prolonged life, their serious sins haunted their mind, and so they quit
the place without saying a word. The youngsters followed the same path.
So he was left alone with the woman before him.
The accusers found themselves unworthy to stone the
woman. They were frightened whether Jesus might reveal their secret sins
in public if they dare to stone the woman. The onlookers and the
disciples might have been watching this incident nearby. The woman might
have been scared to death when Jesus judged her to be stoned on
condition that those who did not sin should stone her first. She might
have been expecting the punishment from the Jews at that moment. If
anyone was eligible to stone her, it was only Jesus because he was the
God incarnate, free from original and actual sins. Instead, he freed her
from punishment and gave her a second chance. Jesus helped the
self-righteous Jews to assess their souls and find how immoral they
were, compared to the woman they caught in adultery.
(10) Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
Then Jesus straightened up and said to her
Jesus was sitting as part of his
teaching and the woman was standing as a culprit. So, he looked up to
talk to her. It was like a seated judge and a convict standing in the
court facing the magistrate for the verdict.
"Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
When Jesus spoke to the woman with a hemorrhage, he
addressed her “daughter” (Mt 9:22; Mk 5:34; Lk 8:48) and to the women of
Jerusalem who met him while carrying the cross as “daughters of
Jerusalem” (Lk 23:28). However, he did not call this sinful woman
“daughter” but “woman.” She was ineligible for it because she did not
seek pardon for her sins, and she was unaware of Jesus as the Messiah.
Though all who brought her for stoning
to death left, she did not leave to escape. She was mentally prepared to
face any punishment because she knew she deserved it. She expected that
from Jesus, who might do it with his disciples or the onlookers there.
Jesus’ questions, "Woman, where are they? Has no
one condemned you?" do not imply that she was innocent. However, such
dialogue with Jesus was consoling to her.
(11) She replied, "No one, sir." Then Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go, (and) from now on do not sin any more."
She replied, "No one, sir."
The woman did not know Jesus as the Messiah. So,
she addressed him “sir” and did not ask for the forgiveness for her
sins. If she had known who Jesus was, she might have done so. She did
not justify her wrongdoing. Though she limited her answer in minimum
words, her body language was expressive of what she had in mind, such as
embarrassment in her being caught in adultery, apologetic for her sins,
and seeking mercy from God.
Then Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you.
Even though the woman did not plead to free her,
Jesus was still compassionate to her. He did not forgive her sins, but
avoided condemning her and gave her a chance to improve her life.
Why did Jesus not condemn the adulterous woman?
1. Jesus came not to condemn anyone but to save.
Jesus told Nicodemus: “God did not send his Son into the world to
condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” (Jn
3:17). He will judge only at his second coming (Mt 25:31-46). As the
followers of Jesus, we also shall not judge others, but help them save
their souls.
2. Jesus felt compassion for the women who looked
scared and apologetic, though she did not confess her repentance in
public. He expressed compassion for the people several times. For
example, at the sight of the crowd who came in search of him as sheep
without a shepherd (Mt 9:36; 14:14; Mk 6:34), after the people were
listening to Jesus for three days and had nothing to eat (Mt 15:32; Mk
8:2-3), before healing two blind men (Mt 20:34), at the funeral of
widow’s son in Nain (Lk 7:13), and at the death of Lazarus (Jn 11:35).
How compassionate are we at the pathetic situation of others? At the
last judgement, the criteria for evaluating the fruits of our Christian
living are based on the compassionate action we take in the suffering of
the people (Mt 25:31-46).
3. The woman became a harlot because she had no
other choice to live. Studies show several compelling situations that
make a woman prostitute.
(a) The lady needs money to meet her basic
necessities and find no other way to earn it. This can happen if the
husband dies without resources to survive, divorce and no one to
support, abandoned by all, a rape or abuse victim, no one willing to
marry her, or unskilled for any job. In such cases, she sells her body
to survive.
(b) A woman forced to sex work by a poor family, by
others who cheat her by offering a job, irresponsible husbands who sells
wife for material gains, illegal immigrant with no other source of
income, sexual slavery by sex rackets.
In such cases, the society is more guilty than the
woman. Jesus, who knew the inner secrets of the woman caught in
adultery, found her helplessness and allowed her another chance.
When Hosea presented Israel’s guilt, he preached,
“Therefore your daughters prostitute themselves, and your
daughters-in-law commit adultery. I will not punish your daughters for
their prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law for their adultery,
Because the men themselves consort with prostitutes, and with temple
women they offer sacrifice! Thus a people without understanding comes to
ruin” (Hosea 4:13-14). Almost the same was this woman’s situation, and
those who abused her.
Here, Jesus proved it is the people who led the
woman to poverty and immorality are more guilty. How much is our role in
leading others to poverty-based theft and prostitution? What can we do
to liberate people from their pathetic situation? The Bible teaches us
to share our resources with the poor.
“Go, (and) from now on do not sin any more."
Jesus also considered adultery as a serious sin
because it violates God’s commandment. Whatever justification the woman
had for adultery; it is a serious sin. It would damage the woman and her
accomplice, their families, and the society. So, Jesus advised the woman
not to repeat it. This has resemblance to what he told after curing a
sick person who was ill for 38 years. When Jesus found him later in the
temple area, he said to him, “Look, you are well; do not sin anymore, so
that nothing worse may happen to you” (Jn 5:14). Jesus hated sin but not
the sinner. While detesting sin, how are we dealing with the sinners?
Are we despising them or helping them to recuperate from their sinful
life?
Jesus had a non-judgmental approach towards the
adulterous woman and the Jews who dragged her to him. He convinced all
of them to reflect on their sinful ways of life. He did not find fault
with the Laws of Moses on how to punish the adulterous people and did
not justify the sinful woman. He mercifully freed her from punishment on
condition that she would change her lifestyle. God is ready to save us
from punishment, provided we also change our sinful life. Now is the
time for that because if we delay, we might lose the opportunity for
renewal before our death.
MESSAGE
1. Jesus was bold to preach the gospel to the
public even in the presence of his opponents in the Temple. Are we
compromising with the erroneous practice and ideologies of the time, or
bold enough to stand with the church for Jesus the Truth?
2. The mindset of the Sanhedrin was to trap Jesus
Christ and eliminate the long-awaited Messiah from the world. Though
they succeeded after several attempts, the truth prevailed, and Jesus
rose from the dead. Let us stand with the church headed by the Messiah,
avoiding the trap builders.
3. The antagonists of Jesus used an adulterous
woman as a prey for their mischief against Jesus. She might have been a
victim of the social evils of the society. Public sinners can be the
byproduct of an immoral society. Then the victims need help, and the
society needs to change. What can we do about this?
4. Jesus did not fall into the snares of enemies
because of his divine wisdom. Let us pray for such kind of wisdom and
guidance from the Holy Spirit and escape from the traps of the
antagonists of the church and the devil-assisted tempters around us.
5. As it happened several times during the ministry
of Jesus, tests and obstacles can happen in our spiritual journey
through our family members, friends, or foes. Let us be vigilant to
overcome those with the strength of God.
6. Jesus was non-judgmental to the Law, to the
enemies who tried to trap him, and to the adulterous woman. Let us
correct ourselves rather than finding fault with others.
7. While acknowledging the seriousness of adultery
as a sin, Jesus made a conversion of heart in the sinful woman and the
enemies. He hated sin and loved the sinners. He freed her from death
penalty and gave her a second chance to renew her life. Let us have a
similar approach in dealing with others.
8. When the sinful woman and the enemies realized
their sins, they failed to ask forgiveness from Jesus and thus missed a
great opportunity to reconcile with God. Are we ignoring the
opportunities we get for confession and reconciliation with others?
9. Though the enemies of Jesus acknowledged their
sinful state by leaving without stoning the woman, they were so proud
that they did not express their repentance to Jesus and the woman whom
they brought to the brim of death. Let us be remorseful before God and
people whom we hurt knowingly or unknowingly.