What can we learn from the woman caught in adultery?

Answer

Note: This passage of Scripture, sometimes known as the pericope adulterae, is of uncertain authenticity. Regardless of whether the account is original to the Gospel of John, its message aligns with the character and teachings of Jesus.

Self-righteousness is a sin that all individuals are culpable of but often fail to recognize within themselves. Among other valuable lessons, Jesus’ interaction with the woman caught in adultery reveals this pharisaic, hypocritical tendency present in everyone.

John 7:53—8:11 recounts the poignant tale of a woman apprehended in adultery. One day, as Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, some scribes and Pharisees brought forward a woman they claimed had been caught in the act of adultery. They stood her before the crowd and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So, what is your verdict?” (John 8:4-5).

The scribes and Pharisees sought to ensnare Jesus. According to Jewish law, adultery warranted stoning “If a man is found lying with a woman who is married to a husband, then both of them shall die, both the man who lay with the woman and the woman: thus you shall purge the evil from Israel.”, (Deuteronomy 22:22). If Jesus advocated for the woman’s release, he could be accused of disregarding the law or treating the Mosaic Law lightly. Conversely, if Jesus endorsed stoning the woman, he would be violating Roman law, provoking the government’s ire and providing the Jewish leaders with grounds for accusation. The Jewish leaders showed no regard for true justice, evident in their selective prosecution of only the adulterous woman; justice would dictate that the adulterous man also face consequences.

The same treatment.

Instead of stepping into their legalistic snare, Jesus silently stooped down and began tracing His finger in the sand. The Pharisees and teachers kept on questioning Him until He finally stood and said, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” «So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. », (John 8:7). Jesus’ response flawlessly preserved both Roman and Jewish law while uncovering the evil intentions in the hearts of the woman’s accusers.

Bending down again, Jesus returned to writing on the ground. One by one, the accusers walked away until Jesus and the woman were left alone. Unlike the Pharisees who had no regard for the woman’s life or well-being, Jesus now cared for her most pressing needs. He did not condemn the woman but extended grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

Jesus asked the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t any of them condemn you?”

“No, Lord,” the woman answered.

Jesus reassured her with words of grace and truth: “Then neither do I condemn you. . . . Go now and leave your life of sin” «She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. », (John 8:11). With her guilt and shame addressed, Jesus now offered her a new life. Forgiveness (“Go now”) should lead to holiness and newness of life (“Leave your life of sin”).

Perhaps the most striking aspect of the story of the woman caught in adultery is how skillfully it illustrates the harmony of justice and mercy in Christ’s salvation. God pronounces judgment on sin but provides a way to escape condemnation (Romans 3:23;Romans 8:1). Jesus does not enCourage the sin, but He loves the sinner. The Lord silences the critics of this world while healing hearts that are burdened with guilt and shame. God never treats sin casually but calls sinners to turn away from their old, corrupt way of life (Ephesians 4:17-24).

The incident of the woman caught in adultery sheds light into each of our own hearts and exposes the widespread existence of sin. After Jesus prompted the accusers to consider their own lives, all of them dropped their stones and walked away, knowing they, too, deserved the same punishment.

This episode provides an excellent example for us to follow when we find ourselves reacting judgmentally or with an attitude of self-righteousness toward someone else’s sin. We must remember how much God has forgiven us and that none of us has the right to throw stones (Matthew 6:14-16;Mark 11:25;Luke 6:37). God desires to reconcile the world to Himself, and Christians are called to be ministers of that reconciliation «And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; », (2 Corinthians 5:18).

God sent His Son into the world to save us from the condemnation we rightly deserve «For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. », (John 3:17). This truth is perfectly illustrated in Jesus’ interaction with the woman caught in adultery.