Imagine for a moment you are a prosecutor and a woman has just been brought before the people who had been caught in the act of adultery breaking the Law of Moses.  You may think to yourself, how can I lose this one to the public defender?  The punishment for the crime of adultery is stoning.  There are people and plenty of stones to throw.  Then imagine the religious leaders want to test this radical named Jesus, and they ask Him what should be done with this woman.

Jesus does not respond quickly as is His custom, but rather begins to write on the ground.  Again the accusers want an answer.  Jesus sees this woman with great compassion.  Jesus knows the law and what it requires death by stoning.  Jesus also makes a statement at another time that He did not come to destroy the law but rather to fulfill it.

There is a herd effect when men come together in groups and are urged to take action.  You can see this herd effect most dramatically in film of large groups of Nazis reacting to speeches from Hitler.  Men do things they normally would not do alone.  These men gathered that day were intent on killing this woman.  Their intent to kill was as though through her death their holiness might shine.  Sometimes today we have leaders in the church that would rather sacrifice the woman than to stand up to the crowd.

Jesus tells the crowd that the one without sin should throw the first stone.  The bible says the men were conscience stricken and left one by one.  Only the woman and Jesus were left.  Jesus asked her where her accusers were and she responded, “There are none”.  Jesus did not condemn her, but told her to go and sin no more.

The Bible says, “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17) This encounter is one where grace fulfilled the law.  It is interesting that there was no mercy in the other men that day.  They extended no grace to this woman.

We need to remember that when people actually do us wrong we need to grant grace.  Also remember Jesus is looking to grant grace to you when you fail and falter.

Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord