John 8:1–11
Early in the morning Jesus came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, 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. Now what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”
A reflection by Lisa Oberreuter
I have found my most personal insights in the scriptures by letting go of the surrounding circumstances and just listening to the thoughts and words of Jesus. The adultery is not what is important. “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” That is what is important. In this time of tremendous polarization, I find it is too easy to condemn. My ideas are correct, period. Anytime I use the word “they” I am going against the teachings of Jesus. Anytime I use the word “hate”, I am going against the teachings of Jesus. Anytime I use the words “I’ll just stay silent about oppression”, I am going against the teachings of Jesus. Today I pray my heart is open to see beyond my own way of living in order to see with the love of Jesus instead. May I make the effort not to sin against love again.
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