From the very beginning, this scene was between Jesus and the religious leaders. The woman, caught in the act of adultery, was nothing more than a backdrop. It was obvious. After all, adultery takes two, and they only brought one. Justice for the crime was never on these men’s minds. They wanted to entrap Jesus. That’s it. The woman was collateral of war.
If you think about it, that’s true of all of us. All around us, a cosmic war rages every day. We can’t see it, of course, but it’s there – angels and demons. It’s enough to make you shudder if you try to envision it. Adam and Eve were caught in the middle – collateral of war – Satan attacked them to “hurt” God. No wonder Jesus wept over Jerusalem ... and at Lazarus’ tomb ... and undoubtedly countless other times as he interacted with the brokenness caused by sin. This was the reason He came to the world – to bring hope and healing to the broken.
Now, this group repeated the scene from Eden. They were hurting this woman to hurt God. The irony: they were all in the same boat as her – broken and hurting from sin; very much in need of Grace. How Jesus’ heart must have hurt to watch this play out. And of course, His response was perfect: Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her. Maybe He listed their sins in the dirt after He said this. In any event, these men got the message. Yes, the Law condemned her. That was never in question. Jesus is offering something new: LIFE. PEACE. RESTORATION.
As we navigate this day, let’s be careful to remember that we are part of a bigger story – a spiraling epic that began long before Eden and will end when the Enemy is locked away once and for all. In the meantime, let’s care for one another on this war-torn earth. We are surrounded by people suffering from sin, but we know where to find help. After all, it’s the same place we turned for forgiveness from our own sins.