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Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At daybreak he appeared in the Temple again; and as all the people came to him, he sat down and began to teach them.

The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman along who had been caught committing adultery; and making her stand there in full view of everybody, they said to Jesus, ‘Master, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery, and Moses has ordered us in the Law to condemn women like this to death by stoning. What have you to say?’ They asked him this as a test, looking for something to use against him. But Jesus bent down and started writing on the ground with his finger. As they persisted with their question, he looked up and said, ‘If there is one of you who has not sinned, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’ Then he bent down and wrote on the ground again. When they heard this they went away one by one, beginning with the eldest, until Jesus was left alone with the woman, who remained standing there. He looked up and said, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one, sir’ she replied. ‘Neither do I condemn you,’ said Jesus ‘go away, and do not sin any more.’

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Who is on trial here?

Is it the woman who has been caught breaking the bond of trust between her and her husband? Have you noticed she has been left to take all the blame?

It was no more acceptable for a woman to commit adultery than a man, as it is now.

Or is Jesus in trial? The Pharisees are trying to trick Jesus. Judea was an occupied country, it was occupied by the Romans. The Jews put people to death by stoning but this was illegal, if someone was stoned to death they were committing murder. For someone to be executed it was the Roman’s that had to pass that sentence, and we know how they put people to death……by crucifixion.

If Jesus had said not to stone her the Pharisees would have accused him of letting the woman get away with adultery, therefore condoning adultery and the breaking of one of the Ten Commandments.

If he said she should be stoned he would have been siding with the Romans who were the occupying force in the country and the Pharisees would have held that against him too

Or are the Pharisees being put on trial by Jesus? He is asking them to admit that they are sinners. Notice that the reading says they walked away one by one, starting with the eldest. Again at that time, older people were regarded as leaders in any sphere, they were expected to always know what is write and to act like it. It’s significant that John says ‘starting with the eldest’ as he is telling us the Pharisees knew they were acting wrongly.

 

Or are we all on trial? How many times do we point out that someone has done something wrong, yet we get embarrassed if someone points out what we do wrong. We know how it feels when someone says “look what you did”, how we want to hide, how we wish they had not said it, yet we still do the same.

What we can be sure of is when we are wrong, we need to apologise. When we do wrong in God’s eyes, in a way that only he knows, we need to let him know we are sorry.

We also need to be sure that God is a forgiving, merciful father who does not punish us for what we do, but we will be held account for our wrongs before we get to heaven.

Those of us who treat people in a just and fair way always gain our respect. Do you want to be respected? Or do you want people to think the worst of you, even if they don’t say it, they will carry that those thoughts in their hearts.

Do you deserve that?

 Closing prayer

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.   Where there is hatred, let me sow love;Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; Where there is sadness, joy. O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek To be consoled as to console, To be understood as to understand, To be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life.