7:53 Then they all went home, 8:1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Dispute Over Jesus’ Testimony
12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 13 The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.” 14 Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. 16 But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. 17 In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. 18 I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.” 19 Then they asked him, “Where is your father?” “You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.
We humans judge others with our own standards. However, Jesus didn't condemn anyone, but He said, "Leave your life of sin." We shouldn't judge others, but at the same time, we should try to keep away from sins.
At this scene, I am curious about what Jesus wrote down on the ground, but the bible doesn't explain about it, rather it describes that the older people left the place, not stoning the woman. The older ones could be wiser than young men in that place, or there are possibilities of having committing sins more often. Anyway, the point is that no one is perfect.
According to the Mosaic Law, she should be stoned to death, but they don't know exactly the meaning or intention of God who wanted to keep the Israelites from sins. In a word, 'Leaving our sinful life!' We are doing the same things, like the Pharisees and scribes(teachers of the Law) did. I mean, we are judging and blaming others except ourselves. I am sorry to say 'we', but it should be 'me'. I look at the speck of sawdust in my sister's eye and pay no attention to the plank in my own eye. And try to take it out, not taking mine from my eye.
Jesus said, in Matthew 7:5, "You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. This was the first lesson I got from the bible, since I met Jesus at 21, and I have to, and will have to keep in mind and struggle to keep it. Yet, the first thing I should know is that I AM a sinful man!
