Max's Weekly Musings
Vol. 11, No. 14, for the week of April 27 - May 3, 2008
John 8:1 - 11

Last weekend I had the wonderful experience of sharing in a "guys weekend" in Dallas, Texas, with my son, three of my grandsons, and my two sons-in-law.  Our daughter, Beth, was overwhelmed as the only female in a weekend of male bonding.  Wow!  It was fun!  Got to see Ethan's baseball game.  His team won and Ethan did very well.  Then we all attended the Twins-Rangers game in Arlington.  Neither team has any post-season expectations because neither team is very good.  But, the Twins won, so some of our group was happy.  Then last Sunday the four of us had the privilege of attending the Byron Nelson Golf Classic.  It was my first time at a professional golfing event.  We camped out at the 17th hole for about four hours.  Saw over 50 golfers play that par-3 hole.  Saw some incredible shots.  It is amazing what those men can go with a little white ball.  It was an incredibly rewarding and memory-filled weekend.  There is talk of this becoming an annual event...guess that will depend upon airfares.  Marlys drove down to Ankeny where she was joined by Merideth and her two girls for a "ladies weekend" there. 

These are interesting days as our nation's economy continues to teeter.  Debates over possible solutions occur with nothing definitive being determined.  The Middle East continues to be troubled.  Even as Israel prepares to celebrate its 60th anniversary this month, talks of war hover overhead.  With a government that seemingly no longer represents the majority of the Israeli people and seems inclined to do just about anything in order to stay in power - including the options of giving the Golan back to Syria - one can only wonder what will happen in Israel.  Yet we know that God is in control.  More on that in our next time together.

Now for our study in John's Gospel.  We have reached chapter 8.  The passage before us is a very controversial one.  In fact there is much textual evidence that John did not write this passage and that it does not fit in with the train of thought between chapters 7 and 8.  Some scholars believe it would be better placed in the Gospel of Luke.  However, I feel that this passage is historically accurate and gives us a beautiful picture of how Jesus dealt with sinners and with their sin.  Our lives are richer for having studied this passage.

Let's focus first upon some background information will help us to better understand this story.  According to the authorities who brought this woman to Jesus, they had caught her in the act of adultery.  In fact, verse 4 would seem to indicate that these men had stood there and observed the act itself.  Notice, however, that the other partner in this adulterous act was not brought to Jesus as well.  Yet, according to the Law he was as guilty as was she.  This fact has led many to conclude that this whole episode was a conspiracy against Jesus and that this poor woman was simply a pawn in a game being played to entrap Jesus.  Now, what did the Law state?  We read in Leviticus 20:10 - If a man commits adultery with another man's wife - with the wife of his neighbor - both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.  Notice, at least in this verse, the form of death was not prescribed.  In Deuteronomy 22:13-24, in the account of a man who is guilty of engaging in a sexual act with a woman is who is betrothed to another, the penalty was stoning.  According to the Mishnah, the penalty was to be by strangulation: The man is to be enclosed in dung up to his knees, and a soft towel set within a rough towel is to be placed around his neck.  The one man draws in one direction and another in the other direction until he is dead. 

What was this trap they had set before Jesus?  If Jesus gave the decision that the woman should be stoned to death, then two things would follow.  First, He would lose forever the name He had gained for love and for mercy.  And, second, He would immediately come into collision with the Roman law, for the Jews had no power to pass or carry out the death penalty.  Thus He would lose the devotion of the great mass of the ordinary people and He would become a criminal in the eyes of Rome.  If Jesus said the woman should be pardoned, then He would be accused of teaching men to break the law of Moses and that He condoned and encouraged people to commit adultery.  How the Devil delights to entangle us with precarious situations.

What was Jessi's immediate response?  Verse 7 simply states that Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with His finger.  Wouldn't you just love to know what Jesus wrote?  Perhaps when we get to heaven Jesus will tell us.  Here are some possible reasons for His writing in the sand.  First, Jesus may quite simply have wished to gain time and not to rush into a decision; but I believe Jesus already knew what He was to do.  Second, Jesus may have wanted these people to repeat their charges so that in repeating them they might possibly realize the sadistic cruelty which lay behind them; although these people really had few moral scruples.  Third, Jesus' heart was broken as He gazed into the saddened and frightened eyes of the woman and the eyes of hate of the accusers, so He had to hide His own broken heart.  Finally, many scholars believe that Jesus simply began to write a list of the sins of the accusers in the sand. 

Jesus's words to them - If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her - seems to have pricked their hard shells.  They all walked away, leaving just Jesus with the woman.  I believe this passage gives us a wonderful portrait of the truth that Jesus is not only interested in what a person has been, but also in what a person can become.  Jesus does not despair because we fail.  Later this year we will get to Jesus's remarkable and wonderful confrontation with Peter restoring him into fellowship with him (read John 21).  Friends, Jesus never wishes to condemn but to forgive.  And Jesus always gives us a challenge to go and sin no more.  Jesus never says to us, "You are hopeless."  Instead, He prays for us that our faith will become stronger.  This woman's life was forever changed. 

So, what is the important lesson of this story?  I believe it is that I need to be less inclined to a quick condemnation of another and more inclined to offer genuine forgiveness.  Not easy to do in our own strength, but God can give us the enablement through Christ. 

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: If you are suffering from a bad man's injustice, forgive him lest there be two bad men.  (Augustine)