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Let He Who Is Without Sin Cast The First Stone - A Woman Caught in Adultery - (Jn. 8:2-11)

Then each went to his own house, 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.”] 

Jesus was teaching in the temple area early in the morning as he frequently did (v. 2).  A woman had been caught in adultery and the Scribes and the Pharisees brought her to the Temple and made her stand in the middle between Jesus and the crowd (v. 3).  They accused her of being caught in adultery and asked Jesus his opinion to see if he would disagree with the Law (vv. 4-5).  The punishment for a woman caught in adultery was death by stoning (Deut. 22:22-24) so the woman knew that she was facing death.  There is no clear reason why Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground (v. 6), but the book of Jeremiah is often referenced as the meaning; 'those who turn away from thee shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the Lord (Jer. 17:13),' which would have been about the guilt of her accusers.  The reference to throwing the first stone (v. 7) comes from Deuteronomy, 'The hands of the witnesses shall be the first raised to put the person to death (Deut. 17:7).’  The witnesses have a special responsibility for the death of the accused person.  Since no one can claim to be without sin, the elders left first followed by those of lesser importance in succession until they were all gone (v. 9).  After the woman’s accusers had left, Jesus also did not condemn her but forgave her sins and commanded her not to sin anymore (v. 11).

Almighty God, you sent your righteous Son to be the incarnation of mercy and to teach us your holy ways.  Grant us the strength to do as commanded and sin no more so that we can be raised to new life and be restored to a right relationship with you.  This we pray through Christ our Lord.  Amen!
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References

Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.

Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.


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