This story is a little provocative and stunning. The religious elite-nuts (we'll call them the "Baptists" for short) dig this woman out of bed where she was sleeping with her lover. As most people who are adulterating, she was probably naked. They throw her in front of Jesus as ask him what to do with her. Adultery was a sin, and the Old Testament law said to stone anyone caught in adultery. The Baptists were more interested in tricking Jesus than in stoning a woman, so she becomes a helpless pawn in their scheme.
The predicament for Jesus is this:
- If he says, "Let her go free" then he contradicts the Old Testament scriptures (which, as God, he wrote).
- If he says "You're right, stone her" then he loses his reputation as being compassionate and caring; he will then fall out of favour with the people.
So how does Jesus see sin?
Here's another story:
A man is in jail. After some time the judge comes to him and says "You can go free." The man in jail says, "What do you mean free? I am free. I have an 8x10 room with a bed and a toilet. I get up at 7:00 every day, eat, and make license plates. I have a whole three hallways I can roam, and on nice days I go outside. I am free, and I want to stay."
Is a condemned man really free?
Back in John chapter 3 it says this: "God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son."
Jesus doesn't have to say "I condemn you!" because we are already condemned. "Everyone who sins is a slave of sin." (John 8.34) Take a look at what we do to a beautiful world, and what we do to ourselves, and you quickly realize this ain't no paradise. Jesus abhors sin, because of what it does to that which he made beautiful. But he does more than condemn; he rescues. He frees.
"Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more."
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