GUILTY AS CHARGED
By Rev. J. Loren Russell, BA, MDiv.
SCRIPT: John 8:7-11 (KJV)
7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours] Has no one condemned you?”
11 She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
Whenever I read this periscope, (a selection from a book), I find myself asking which of the primary characters are actually guilty. Jesus had come into the temple early one morning and was confronted by both scribes and Pharisees who cast in front of Him a woman that they said was caught in “the very act of adultery.” There was no mistake that this woman was guilty and should be punished.
An outcast is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as one who is cast or thrown out by society. The general thinking is that they are thrown out of their own society or community. This woman, having been caught in the very act of adultery and guilty by eyewitnesses, should not only be cast out of society, but the Law says she should be stoned to death.
These men, scribes and Pharisees, were the keepers and protectors of the Law. They knew the consequences of such an act, but asked Jesus, this now well-known oracle of God, what He thought about the situation. On the surface, it appears that they were respectful of Jesus and His understanding of the Law, that they were earnest in their request. But, John tells us that they only asked to test Him so that they could compile enough evidence to accuse Him.
Instead of responding to their question, Jesus does the unusual; He kneels and begins writing in the dirt. Maybe He was just as sorry for them as He was for this woman who had been caught in the act.
He writes on the ground, totally ignoring them as if He didn’t hear them at all. But these were persistent Pharisees; the Bible says that they kept asking Him, “What do you say?”
Still not answering their question, He continues writing, then rises, looks up and says, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”
Stunned by His statement, they all, one by one, began disbursing themselves without further accusation. You see, in God’s sight, all sin is sin! There is no little sin and big sin. Sin is Sin!
The Greek word for sin is hamartia, and it means to miss the mark; to wander from the path of righteousness and honor. Romans 6:23 tells us that “The wages of sin is death…” The cataclysmic misery of sin is not physical death. We will all do that. But the physical death is followed by an eternity in hell! That, my brothers and sisters is what the Bible describes as the second Death!
The woman, although caught in “the act,” found guilty and set for execution, heard these words: “Woman, where are those accusers of yours] Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
She was guilty as charged, but exonerated by a gracious and loving Savior. She was sent away to sin no more, but the scribes and the Pharisees just went away. Is there any wonder who was truly guilty?
Be Blessed!
Rev. J. Loren Russell is President/CEO of The JLR Company for Church Financial Consulting, an associate minister at both Goodwill and The Greater Universal Baptist Churches in the Bronx, hosts “Matters of Faith – The Radio Show” on Soul 1 Radio (internet), Mondays 8:00 – 10:00 PM. http://tobtr.com/s/7436671, or by phone at 626-226-1448. Join him at Greater Central Baptist Church2152 Fifth Avenue (132nd St.), NYC, NY 10037 on Sunday, July 17. Service begins at 10:00 AM.
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