Scripture Reading: John 8:1-11
This Sunday is the Fourth Sunday in Lent, and we are looking at another story of an encounter Jesus had during His ministry in this world. Last week we reflected on the woman Jesus met on His way to Galilee, in Samaria—the Samaritan woman at the well—and we spoke about that encounter. Today we look at another woman, but unlike the Samaritan woman who met Jesus along His journey, this woman was brought to Him.
If you look at the printed Bible in your hands, you will notice that most versions have this passage written in italics, and some even place it in brackets. The reason for that goes back to differences in the early centuries when the Bible was being compiled. There were different manuscripts discovered, written in various languages. Some were in Greek, while others were in languages such as Hebrew and Latin.
The Eastern Orthodox Church largely followed the Greek manuscripts because the regions around Greece and the Mediterranean were predominantly Greek-speaking. Interestingly, the Greek manuscripts did not contain this passage. However, the Latin manuscripts did include it. At some point, some of the early church fathers recognized this story as genuine and included it as part of the biblical tradition, even though one stream of manuscripts had not preserved it.
Later, in 1611, when the translators of the King James Version gathered to compile what became one of the foundational English Bibles, they brought these manuscript traditions together. They examined the story carefully and concluded that it was an authentic and meaningful account that deserved to be included in Scripture. That is why many modern Bibles still print the passage in italics or brackets, acknowledging the manuscript history.
Does that mean the story is not inspired by the Spirit of God? Not at all. It reflects exactly what Jesus taught throughout His ministry, and it does not conflict with anything Jesus stood for or taught during His life on earth. The message of the story is deeply consistent with the character, compassion, and teaching of Christ.
It is a powerful and very interesting story.
Imagine a crowd gathered in a town square. In their hands are stones. In the middle of the crowd stands a trembling, fearful woman. She is shivering, shaking with shame, exposed and certain that she is about to be stoned to death. Every eye in that crowd is fixed on her. Every hand around her holds a stone. Suddenly someone steps forward—someone they least expected: Jesus.
Instead of shouting, arguing, or questioning the woman as others were doing, Jesus approaches the situation in a completely different way. Rather than accusing her or confronting the crowd with anger, He bends down and begins to write on the ground in the sand.
It is a remarkable response.
The real problem here was not the woman. The Jewish leaders had another purpose. They wanted to trap Jesus. Their intention was to catch Him in a situation where He would say something that could be used against Him.
Jesus had been teaching the Scriptures the way God intended them to be understood and lived. But many religious leaders had taken the Scriptures and used them for their own advantage, often exploiting the poor, the weak, and especially women.
So the issue here was not truly about the woman. She was merely a scapegoat, a piece in their plan. Their real target was Jesus.
They said to Him, “This woman was caught in the act of adultery.” Jesus was known as a teacher and a prophet, and they expected Him to confirm what they thought the law required—that she should be stoned to death according to the law of Moses. They assumed Jesus would say exactly that.
But Jesus knew the law better than they did. The Mosaic law does not say that only the woman should be stoned. If you read the passages in Leviticus and Deuteronomy that address adultery, the law clearly says that both the man and the woman must be brought forward for judgment. If both are found guilty, both are to be punished. Yet here only the woman was brought before Him. The man was nowhere to be found.
Jesus also knew something else about their plan. If He said she should be stoned, He would be endorsing the death penalty. But at that time Judea was under Roman rule, and the Romans had strict control over capital punishment. If Jesus supported an execution, He could be accused of violating Roman law. On the other hand, if He said she should not be stoned, the religious leaders could accuse Him of rejecting the law of Moses. Either way, they believed they had trapped Him.
But Jesus knew exactly what they were trying to do. They were using this poor woman as a tool in their attempt to manipulate and accuse Him. So Jesus took a different approach. He did not condone the sin, but neither did He immediately condemn the woman. Instead of responding with judgment, Jesus responded with compassion.
This is really what the story is about. It raises an important question for all of us: how do we deal with the sins of others? Jesus came to love the sinner while confronting the sin. But many times we confuse the two. Instead of hating the sin, we end up hating the sinner. When we see someone labeled as a sinner—a murderer, a thief, or someone who has fallen in some obvious way—we quickly put a label on them. But we forget to look at ourselves. We forget that we too are sinners, saved only by the grace of God. Every one of us stands where we are today only because of God’s grace.
So Jesus stooped down and began writing in the sand. People have been curious about this moment for centuries. Many preachers and scholars try to explain what Jesus might have written there. The truth is that the Scripture does not tell us. It simply says that He wrote on the ground. There have been many interpretations, but we really do not know what He wrote. If it were meant for us to know, the Gospel would have told us. Since it does not, we should be careful not to speculate too much.
However, it is possible that Jesus was reminding them of something they already knew well. God had once written the law on stone tablets and given it to Moses—the Ten Commandments. Those commandments call us to love God and love our neighbor, and they warn us not to steal, not to lie, and not to commit adultery. Perhaps Jesus was quietly reminding them of the law that God had written long ago. In other words, He was saying to the crowd, “You have brought this woman here, accusing her of sin. But what about you? Are you free from sin?”
Then Jesus looked up and spoke the famous words: “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” After saying that, He bent down again and continued writing.
Perhaps that second moment of writing symbolized something deeper. Some have suggested that the first writing could represent the coming of Christ into the world, and the second writing could symbolize the judgment and forgiveness He would bring through His sacrifice. Whatever the meaning, the impact of His words was immediate.
When the people heard what Jesus said, they began to leave one by one. The Gospel tells us that the older ones left first, and then the others followed, until only Jesus and the woman remained. That detail is fascinating—the older ones left first.
Perhaps it is because the longer we live, the more we become aware of our own sins. A small child may appear innocent, but as life goes on, we experience struggles, temptations, and failures. Life teaches us many lessons, and sometimes those lessons reveal how far we fall short. Eventually the crowd was gone. The stones were on the ground. Only Jesus and the woman remained.
This story reminds us that the world we live in can be a very harsh place. The world is quick to judge and condemn. People often carry stones in their hands, ready to throw them in many different ways. Even the everyday pressures of life can pull us toward things we know we should avoid. Sometimes we indulge in habits or behaviors that we later regret.
But when everything is finished, there will come a moment when it is only you, Jesus, and a pile of stones. Jesus then asked the woman, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Think about that moment carefully. Jesus was the only person there who had the right to judge her. He was the only one who was without sin. He was the only one who could have thrown a stone. Yet He chose not to condemn her. Instead, He showed compassion and grace.
Our God is a God of compassion. God knows our weaknesses. God knows that we are fragile people who can fall and falter. Yet whenever we fall, God is there to lift us up again.
This reminds us of the story of the prodigal son. That young man left his father’s house, wasted his inheritance, and returned home expecting to be treated like a servant. But the father refused to see him that way. He said, “You are still my son.”
That is the kind of gracious God we have. Judgment often carries a stone in its hand, but grace always has the final word. In life we often face two responses to human suffering. One response is judgment. The other is mercy. When someone comes to us asking for help because they have lost their home or fallen on hard times, our first instinct is often to judge. We wonder what they did wrong or how they ended up in that situation.
But as followers of Christ, we are called to respond with mercy and grace. At the end of this story only two figures remain. One represents misery, and the other represents mercy. The woman represents misery. Jesus represents mercy. Whenever misery meets Jesus, mercy always wins.
The cruelty of human judgment is very clear in this story. Often the loudest voices condemning others are themselves guilty of the very things they criticize. One author wrote that it is a terrible thing for a sinner to fall into the hands of fellow sinners. Human judgment can be very cruel. But Jesus, who was sinless, responded with mercy and compassion.
The religious leaders were not truly seeking justice. Their real motive was condemnation and manipulation. They were willing to use a vulnerable woman as a tool to accomplish their plan. Stones are very easy to pick up when we forget our own sins. We all need the mercy and grace of God.
Jesus showed that wisdom and mercy are far stronger than cruelty and judgment. Grace does not ignore the truth, but it disarms condemnation. Some people may say that Jesus stood on the wrong side of the issue because He did not condemn the woman. But one writer said something powerful about that. If Jesus is standing on what others call the wrong side, then that is the side where we should stand—with Jesus.
The freedom that woman experienced that day must have been overwhelming. In the middle of her shame, in the midst of her brokenness, she found freedom because Jesus set her free. When the Son sets you free, you are free indeed. As we continue our journey through this season of Lent, it is important for us to reflect on our own lives. Are we being judgmental, or are we showing mercy?
That day the stones fell from many hands. The accusers walked away convicted. The woman walked away forgiven and free. That is the mission of the church in this world—to help set people free by sharing the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ.
May the good Lord bless us as we reflect on these words. Amen.
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