John 7: 53- 8: 11…..Yes or No?

They went each to his own house, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

Comment: Apparently this short passage is not found in the more recently discovered oldest copies of John’s gospel. Therefore many modern scholars say that it should not be in our Bibles. It was in the copies of the Bible that were available to the early church Fathers and they accepted it. It does not introduce anything that has even the slightest odour of heresy and it has good points to make.

• *Jesus is found teaching in the temple. ** I think as a test, the leaders brought a woman caught in adultery. If the word ‘caught’ means what I think it means why weren’t there two people brought? I suspect their thinking was whether Jesus would obey the Mosaic Law or be more gentle. *** We are not told what Jesus wrote, Some think that it was a list of sins including those which the accusers would be guilty of doing. Imagine those accusers leaning over to read what Jesus had written! **** If this is what happened when they had seen their own sins listed and heard Jesus say ‘Now let the guiltless throw the first stone and ….! ***** Left alone with the adulteress He told her ‘Don’t do it again!’
• We don’t know what she was thinking but Jesus could read her heart. Did He see repentance? At any rate He didn’t stone her!

Prayer: Teach me to judge myself before others and to get right with You.