Never Less Thanনমুনা

The Pharisees burst into the woman’s home, caught her in the act of adultery, and dragged her half-dressed to where Jesus was teaching a crowd. The man she was with … well, they didn’t bother with him.

As they slung her at Jesus’ feet, they posed a question. “In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say? (John 8:5). It might appear that Jesus was caught between a rock and a hard place to those looking on. But they didn’t realize that since Jesus is the Rock, there is no hard place He can’t handle.

I’m sure it threw them off when Jesus stooped to write in the dirt. This is the only time Scripture records Jesus writing anything. Could it be He was trying to distract the people’s attention away from the half-dressed woman and onto Himself? Finally, he answered.

Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her (John 8:7).

Jesus left them exposed and spiritually naked before the crowd. Each man standing knew his own life was riddled with sin. The prophet Isaiah, whose writings they knew well, wrote: “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way” (Isaiah 53:6). For a man to throw a stone and, thus, imply he was without sin would have been the greatest heresy of all.

Isn’t it interesting the only person qualified to throw a stone at the woman is the One who set her free?

Sometimes the shortest answers are the most powerful. Jesus gave His answer and then let them think on it. It’s a good time for us to chew on it ourselves. It’s easy to smirk at those self-righteous Pharisees. But when was the last time we threw stones at someone? Maybe not a literal stone, but a stone-hard judgmental attitude tossed someone’s way? Even the smallest stone is too heavy for us to carry.

The Pharisees brought the woman to be condemned, but Jesus freed her by extending grace. In self-righteous superiority, the accusers came to Jesus, but they skulked away in self-defeated shame. The accusers became the accused.

Even though there was a crowd watching, Jesus zoomed in on one hurting soul who needed His attention. The woman caught in adultery stood before Jesus in disgrace but was met with divine grace. The religious leaders put her down like dirt. Jesus looked at her with compassion and lifted her out of it.

Maybe you haven’t been caught in adultery. Maybe you have. But we all have pages of our stories we’d like to rip out. Know this sister: the splinter of your story you hate the most does not define the entire narrative. You are more than your worst pages. Why? Because of grace.

Friend, you are never less than because of your past mistakes and failures. When you ask God to forgive you, He does. John wrote, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). So today, walk in the grace you’ve been given.