CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) The woman had been caught having sex with a married man. She was dragged from the house, and was going to be stoned to death. All of the men present were expected to take part. The killing of an immoral woman was considered a lesson and an obligation; a warning to others against sexual impurity.
Until the radical rabbi, Jesus, intervened. “He who is without sin, cast the first stone.” And one by one, the men who was going to put her to death dropped the rocks they were holding and walked away. Now consider carefully what Jesus said next. He asked the woman, “Where are your accusers now? Did not even one of them condemn you? Then neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
I think the adulterous woman is one of the most complicated figures in the entire Bible.
What happened to her? Obviously everyone in her community knew she was an adulteress. No woman in her right mind would leave her husband around her. Others were certain to look down on her with judgment… after all, without a holy intervention, she would have been dead.
I think the story raises complicated questions about forgiveness and reputation. The woman is forgiven, but the allegations against her are scandalous; not ever forgotten.
And the bible tells us that one day what is done in secret will be shouted from the rooftops. If everyone knew everything about everybody, there’d be no such thing as reputation. Who could stand in the white hot light of others knowing everything about us?
Consider Mary Magdeline, a woman of low reputation. The disciple Judas warned Jesus not to be seen with a woman like her… she polluted his reputation. Yet he is remembered as one of history’s great villains, and she is venerated as a saint and a champion of the faith.
You know people who have sinned. Remember, God’s forgiveness is absolute. The page of our sin is bleached white. I image the adulteress and Mary Magdeline saying often, “I’m not like that any more.”
So, who are we not to believe them?
Would you consider becoming a monthly supporter of the Gospel TLC. It’s a faith-based transitional living center in Weston for men who are turning away from addiction and are working to change their lives. If you’d like to help, there’s a link here:
The men at the Gospel TLC also need AA and AAA battered and glade replacement air fresheners. Those items can be dropped off as the Gospel TLC building at Crosse Point Boulevard, near the hospital in Weston.
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