Why Is It So Hard to Forgive?ናሙና

The Woman Caught in Adultery

One day when Jesus was teaching in the Temple courts, the religious leaders and teachers brought a woman to Jesus because of her sin. They told Jesus that this woman was caught in the act of adultery. Jesus didn’t need to be reminded about the law, but they did it anyway. “In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women” (Leviticus 20:10 NIV). Then they asked Jesus what he thought about the matter.

Calmly, Jesus bent down to do something unexpected—He started writing in the dirt. Then, He said, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (Mark 8:7 NIV). He bent back down to continue writing in the dirt, and gradually, the accusers slipped away. 

An interesting part in this story is that they were trying to trap Jesus with the question. They wanted to see if he would uphold the law or not, and yet, they didn’t uphold the law fully. If this woman was caught in the act of adultery, they neglected to bring the man she was with—because the law said that both were to be killed. 

Jesus asked the woman where her accusers went, said that He wasn’t condemning her, and told her to leave her life of sin.  There was no speech about “how could you have done this!”  nor was there a 10-step process given to her to help her get out of the mess she was in. There was just a simple, yet powerful command voiced by a tender Savior who really did want her to “go and leave her life of sin.”

For Jesus to tell this woman that He doesn’t condemn her and then to send her on her way was a disgrace to the Pharisees and teachers of the law. They abided fully by their laws, which ushered in spiritual elitism. It was all they had and relied on. If only they knew how much forgiveness from Jesus could enrich their lives. 

We may be the ones who need forgiveness in any situation. Maybe we’re the ones who’ve committed an unspeakable act that we haven’t even processed. And to that we need to hear from Jesus—He doesn’t condemn us but desires that we leave our lives our sin. But we also may be the ones who need to extend forgiveness. This woman committed a sin that had death as its consequence, and yet Jesus didn’t condemn her. 

As you process this story of significant forgiveness and redemption, ask God to search your heart and help you see where forgiveness either needs to be received or extended.