SCRIPTURE 8:3-11
a woman caught in adultery
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say? They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him.
Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her
Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, [and] from now on do not sin any more.
WHOEVER IS WITHOUT SIN CAST THE FIRST STONE
REFLECTION
The Scribes and Pharisees bring a woman to Jesus for his judgment to test him, to catch him in a gotcha moment to bring charges against him and bring him down. These wily Scribes and Pharisees are no match to the all wise, all knowing God man. What shame must the woman have felt brought half naked before men!
The story of the woman caught in adultery has always bothered me. She certainly was not committing adultery alone. And what about the person(s) that caught her in adultery? Were they an innocent bystander or part of a peeping tom group? Well, Jesus sets the record and justice straight.
Jesus bends down and begins writing on the ground. There is a lot of speculation that Jesus was writing the sins of those gathered but to me I just like to think he was giving the crowd time to reflect and come to a new place. Judge not lest you be judged!
Those without sin cast the first stone. They began to leave beginning with the elders. Did John know they were the elders or is he making an extra point that the older we are the more sins we have to repent. Love the sinner but hate the sin!
Jesus demonstrates the mercy that takes away the curse of sin by not condemning the woman to her sin. Jesus does not let the woman off the hook though, like so many of us do by denying we have sinned.
As he dismisses her, Jesus tells her, “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” You will notice Jesus does not tell her to not commit adultery again but to sin no more. This is reminiscent of our act of contrition in the Sacrament of Reconciliation where we ask God to help us amend our life and sin no more.
SCRIPTURE 8:21-59
Jesus speaks to the jews in the temple
He said to them again, “I am going away and you will look for me, but you will die in your sin.* Where I am going you cannot come.” He said to them, “You belong to what is below, I belong to what is above. You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world. That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I AM,* you will die in your sins.”… When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me….
They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone…Jesus answered them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin…. I know that you are descendants of Abraham…. “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works of Abraham. But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God; Abraham did not do this. They answered Him, We are not illegitimate. We have one Father, God.”
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and am here; I did not come on my own, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I am saying? Because you cannot bear to hear my word. You belong to your father the devil and you willingly carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks in character, because he is a liar and the father of lies…..
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death. So) the Jews said to him, “Now we are sure that you are possessed. Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham,* who died? Or the prophets, who died? Who do you make yourself out to be?
Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing; but it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ You do not know him, but I know him. And if I should say that I do not know him, I would be like you a liar. But I do know him and I keep his word.
Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it* and was glad. So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?”* Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.” So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.
JESUS TEACHES THE JEWS IN THE TEMPLE
REFLECTION
I have edited this scripture passage to retain the main points to keep the sense of the Gospel but eliminate some of the verbiage. I believe one of the main themes is Jesus is from God and the Jews are not and thus they better get their act together before it is too late.
Jesus confronts the Jews, You belong to what is below, I belong to what is above. You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world. Which world do I belong to? For where your treasure is so is your heart. Matthew 6:21
The Jews try to defend themselves by claiming to be descendants of Abraham but Jesus will not have any of that self-serving excuse. “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works of Abraham. But now you are trying to kill me. This reminds me of those Christians in name only who say, Jesus is my Lord and Savior and I am saved and can do anything I want. No, Faith without works is dead. James 2:14
The Jews who are on defensive now, grasping for straws, ask Jesus who does he say he is. Of course, they are ready to attack any answer he gives. Jesus answers in humility and Truth, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing; but it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God. You do not know him, but I know him. Why does Jesus say they do not know Him? I suspect it is because they don’t act like they do.
I am reminded of the first words of Mary’s magnificat when she visited her cousin Elizabeth, My soul glorifies the Lord. Mary gave all credit to God. Do we do that in our blessings and good works? Only God is good and by His grace we can share in that goodness. God is good all the time. All the time God is good!
Then Jesus really blew them away, “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.” So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area. It was not yet His hour.
The title I AM is the same name God gave Moses at the burning bush. God is not any thing or any being but existence itself ground of all that is. God’s daily providence is intimately involved in our daily living. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Phillipians 4:4