It takes two to tango

“Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”
11She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”                                          John 8:10-11   NKJV

Today, we see Jesus in a Catch 22 situation. The Pharisees had brought to Him a woman who had been caught in the very act of adultery. They reminded Him of what Moses had said in the law, that anyone caught in adultery should be stoned to death. They wanted to catch Him out. If He agreed that she should be executed, He would set Himself up to override Roman authority because no one could execute someone themselves without the agreement of the hierarchy. If He said that they should let here go, once again He would be betraying the law of Moses. It really was a Catch 22 situation.

The Pharisees were not interested in the woman. They didn't know her predicament, she may have been desperate for money and this was the only way she could eat. This obviously didn't make it right because she was breaking the law. One thing comes to mind, 'Where was the man who had been caught with her?' It takes two to tango but, for some reason he was nowhere to be found. Also, they had told Jesus that she was caught in the 'very act'. If they knew this, it proves that they must have been there in the house. Why? Why were they in there; had they broken in which would have been against the law? There were lots of things not right about their accusations. It goes to show that the Pharisees were hard people; full accusatory statements and judgemental with it. There are still people around in our society who could fit into this role. Be careful and wise.

The absence of the man caught in the same situation also flags up that the Pharisees were full of hypocrisy. Surely, they would know what was written about adultery in the law. Leviticus 20:10, Deuteronomy 22:22 are very clear about the punishment of both man and woman. But they ignored this fact. There was certainly some prejudice about at this time.

Jesus' reaction hit them right in the stomach, 'He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first'. v7. What an answer; it cleared the place. Who among them was qualified to judge her? Matthew 7:1-2. It's the same today. Whenever we judge someone, the same judgement comes back upon us. so be very careful what you say about people.

In conclusion, Jesus' comments to the woman caught in adultery show His heart to us all. He didn't condone her act, let's be sure of that. However, He told her not to be involved in sinful situations again. Let us realise that the devil is around us and, he will attempt to expose anything about us that isn't clean.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen
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