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A Morning View By the Wood Stove

“Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.

“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”


They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.


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 8:1-11 NLT


This is an often quoted scripture. Scholars, theologians, pastors, Christians and Non-Christians often quote this passage and usually it is to prove a point or justify a stance on sin. 


I confess my use of this passage in the past for the same reasons. After all, when you read it it is very clear that the woman sinned, the Pharisees tried to trick Jesus, Jesus did something to remind all that they have done some wrong things and he told the woman she was forgiven and do not commit adultery anymore. This seems very straight forward. 


Two extremely important points are often missed. Point one is Jesus actually offered grace to everyone in the story, not just the woman. As each one recognized grace, they left until the accused was the only person before Jesus. Jesus powerfully offered her grace in that moment.


Verse 10-11 

"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.”


We often think Jesus was specifically referring to her sin of adultery but he was not. He was referencing all her sin. He forgave her sin as he has forgiven all our sins. 


The word for sin in this verse, hamartane, is not a word for a particular kind of sin, but rather for any kind of sin. Jesus was telling her to go and do not sin. Period. I believe that Jesus does not just focus on our specific sin, but desires for us to not sin at all. 


Go and be different, go and sin no more, go and embrace my grace, go and share your story, go and make disciples, go and be different. 


Friends we do not need wallow in the pity and shame of our sin. All sin is forgiven! 


GO and Embrace GRACE! 


Peace,

PB

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