Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more

 And everyone went to his own house.  But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.  Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them.  Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery.  And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, "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?"  This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him.  But Jesus stooped own and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.  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."   And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.  Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last.  And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.  When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours?  Has no one condemned you?"  She said, "No one, Lord."  And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."

- John 7:53-8:11

In our current readings, Jesus is in Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles (Succoth).   Yesterday, we read that on the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."  But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.  Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, "Truly this is the Prophet."  Others said, "This is the Christ."  But some said, "Will the Christ come out of Galilee?  Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?"  So there was a division among the people because of Him.  Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.  Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why have you not brought Him?"  The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this Man!"  Then the Pharisees answered them, "Are you also deceived?  Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him?  But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed."  Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them, "Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?"  They answered and said to him, "Are you also from Galilee?  Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee."

 And everyone went to his own house.  But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.  Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them.  Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery.  And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, "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?"  My study bible tells us the passage in the law that is referred to here:  "The man who commits adultery with another man's wife , he who commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death"  (Lev. 20:10)."  It also notes that this law was not observed to the letter in the days of Jesus; but they are forcing application to test Him.  It should also be noted that today's entire reading did not appear in the earliest manuscripts of John's Gospel, but these verses are present in over 900 manuscripts of John.

This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him.  But Jesus stooped own and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.  Here's the test (according to my study bible):  If Jesus refuses to condemn the woman, He will be accused as a lawbreaker.  If He approves her condemnation, He will be inconsistent in His mercy to sinners.  Here in today's reading (see also verse 8) is the only place in all the New Testament that references Jesus writing anything.  My study bible says, "Speculation abounds as to what He wrote; one theory being that He wrote the names of those accusers who were themselves guilty of adultery."

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."   And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.  Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last.  And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.  When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours?  Has no one condemned you?"  She said, "No one, Lord."  And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."  My study bible says, "God forgives and does not condemn the repentant sinner.  But true repentance includes striving to sin no more."

A note in my study bible says of today's passage that the story of the adulterous woman "forcefully demonstrates the grace and power of Christ to redeem and reclaim all sinners, in contrast to the judgmental attitude of the scribes and Pharisees."  In the Orthodox Church, this passage is read on one of the days on which St. Mary of Egypt, a reformed prostitute, is commemorated.  It's interesting that some early manuscripts don't contain this passage, but if you think about it, it plays beautifully off of the understanding of the Holy Spirit that has been introduced in yesterday's reading:  "But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified" (John 7:39).  In yesterday's commentary, we wrote about the Holy Spirit as "Life-Creator."  The idea of rehabilitation, of regeneration of life, starting over, is a perfect one to illustrate the power of the Holy Spirit, the ways in which grace will work, the gift of Christ.  In this woman is all the power and capacity to be "reborn in Spirit," to not be condemned but instead to "go and sin no more."  Under the harsh application of the law encouraged by the scribes and Pharisees, she would be stoned to death, condemned.  It reminds us also, here, of Nicodemus' words in yesterday's reading, "Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?"  Well, apparently there was also more evidence to be heard or known in the case of this woman, which also included the conviction of conscience as referred to in the text.  It's a great illustration of  not judging by appearance, but with righteous judgment, as Jesus taught earlier in chapter 7.  But the promise of the Holy Spirit is illustrated here in today's reading.  In this woman is all the promise for those who have failed and yet get another chance.  While Jesus has spoken in yesterday's reading of the "rivers of living water" that will flow out of the heart of believers, we get an illustration of these rivers of living water that depict God's love, God's grace.  It's endless, and with a bounty we can't calculate.  We turn again, and turn again to God, and we find love, and loving instruction.  All that is asked is that we love in return.  This woman now has a choice, and it's a stark one.  This second chance she's been given, free of any ultimate condemnation, is one that asks her a question.  She's commanded by Christ to "go and sin no more."  This is the place of forgiveness and love, the place that also asks us what we will do, and how we will live our lives.  It's the sort of existential place we might all find ourselves when we're honest with ourselves, but it also confers a staggering sense of responsibility, of choice.  There is a "new life" she must at least try to live.  And I think that's the great key here, if we but think about it.  We can reflect that she's been saved from physical death by Jesus, from condemnation at the hands of the religious authorities.  But there's a deeper sort of call here, a command of Christ, a command from love itself.  And the great secret is that the experience of love commands a kind of loyalty that nothing else can.  Those who refuse love do truly refuse and truly turn their back on life itself.  Let us remember with what love Jesus' commands of life are given.  It's no longer the law written in stone, but something much more personal, and much more profound to refuse.