Week 2 – Light, not condemnation

The beginning of John chapter 8 finds Jesus in the temple courts at dawn, people gathered around him eager to hear his teaching. But wouldn’t you know it – before he could even get going, here come the Pharisees with some woman in tow. She had been caught breaking the law – the 9th commandment to be exact. She had been caught in adultery.  The Pharisees brought her to Jesus in hopes that he might say something that they could use against him. Perhaps he would deny God’s law.  Perhaps he would act as the ultimate authority rather than God. Whatever it was, they were looking for something – anything that they could use entrap him with – accuse him and finally put him in his place.  

See, the religious leaders were jealous of Jesus – they didn’t like all this attention he was getting. They didn’t like that even at the crack of dawn, Jesus could draw a crowd.  They interpreted the Old Testament very differently from this Jesus fellow – they saw God as a rule monger – a favor earner, an elitist, certainly not the kind of god this Jesus fellow claimed. The religious leaders were highly threatened by the radical ideas of love and forgiveness and mercy that this Jesus guy was spreading around.

Their plan to ensnare Jesus with the adulterous woman foiled however, when they brought this adulterous woman before Him. Jesus’ response was simple.

“Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7)

What a response! What could anyone possibly say to that?  After all, we all know in our hearts, no matter how self-righteous we may be, that we have sinned. Even the religious rulers knew, deep down, that they were sinners. And likewise, the people of that day knew, too. Because they heard this and went away – stones dropped. Nobody could, in good conscience throw a single rock her way.  

There’s a certain satisfaction in reading Jesus’ response to the Pharisees. He displayed mercy and grace while simultaneously beating the Pharisees at their own game. This is a total high-five moment for Christians around the world.

But it should also serve as a wake-up call. An opportunity for self-examination. We should read this passage and ask ourselves – are we more like Jesus or more like the Pharisees in our own lives?

As apprentices of Jesus, we are certainly called to uphold the law and aspire to be like Jesus in righteousness. However, we need to remember that we are not God. We are not commanded to judge and condemn others. When we do so, we are no better than the people we accuse.

In fact, even Jesus, although he is God’s perfect and holy son and had every right to judge this woman didn’t condemn her.  Instead, he said 

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (John 8:11).

And in the very next verse Jesus says “I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will never walk in darkness”. You see, Jesus didn’t come to wag his finger at us and tell us what to do and what not to do. He came to bring light and hope to a desperately broken world. When we are bathed in his light, neither are tempted by fleshly, sinful desires, nor are we seeking to elevate our own righteousness by pointing out the sins and faults of others.  

The light of Christ is what prompts us to reach out our hand to a person languishing in sin and want to help them – to lead them to Christ’s light, not throw stones at them. Likewise, the light of Christ is the source of joy and purpose that edges out our desires to indulge in sinful behavior. 

Jesus was masterful at shifting the conversation – from condemnation and judgement to beauty and light, from dwelling on what’s wrong, to dwelling on what’s right (God). As you go through your week, work towards making the light of life – Jesus, your focus and see how the rest simply falls away.