So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” (John 8:7 NKJV)
The saducees (teachers of the law) and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” (John 8:4, 5 NKJV).
They presented this case to Jesus because they were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. and when they persisted, He stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!”
When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” (John 8:3-11 NLT)
Truly, this woman was caught in the act of adultery, red-handed. And were the Pharisees and teachers of the law correct? Yes they were, because the law did say to stone those caught in adultery (Lev.20:10, Deut.22:22). So they were very correct. However, they missed out one thing that was most crucial about the law. They knew the letters of the law very well, but they did not know the heart or the spirit behind the law, which is - LOVE. The primary thing the law sought to achieve was to make the people 'Love' God and their neighbours. This crucial point the Pharisees and teachers of the law missed out in their judgement.
Because they didn't have Love in view, they saw the sin, not the person behind the sin who needed redemption. Therefore, they condemned the sin and the sinner together with it. Jesus however, understood not only the letter, but the heart and spirit of the law. Therefore, love was his watchword. Is it that Jesus condoned adultery? By all means, no! He was all about upholding the law, not breaking it. Jesus hated the sin of adultery, but He didn't hate the sinner who committed the sin.
In fact he loved the sinner so much that He came to die for them, so that they can be saved from the clutches of their sin (John 3:16, 1Pet.3:18). Therefore beloved, have you been casting stones? If so, don't be religious and legalistic like the Pharisees and teachers of the law, condemning those who are sinning around you. Learn from Jesus; Hate the sin, not the sinner. Christ did just that. Go and do likewise.
Study Scriptures: Luke 6:37-42, John 16:8-11, Rom.14:10-13, 2Corth.3:6, Col.1:22, Heb.9:28, 1Pet.2:21
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