Jesus And The Woman
As I pass the temple on this particular day, I notice a bit of a commotion. The local scribes and Pharisees seem to be agitated over something yet again. The Man they call Yeshua~ Jesus is also nearby. It seems lately that the scribes and Pharisees are always agitated when Jesus is around.
They are dragging a woman into the center of the square. She is familiar; I have seen her around before. I have also heard of her reputation.
Those in the square begin to pick up rocks. This woman has been caught in the act of adultery and the law states that she should be stoned. I watch this scene in horror. This woman has been dragged through town and now faces death. She seems to know what she has done is wrong; the guilt and shame are written all over her tear~stained face.
The men are about to throw the rocks they have been holding, but before they do Jesus says something that makes them stop. He says that the one without sin should cast the first stone. Now he is bending down and writing something in the sand, but I don't know what He has written. He does this several times, and each time more of the men just drop their stones and walk away. I still can't see what Jesus has written, but they must have!
The woman is now alone with Jesus. I walk a little further away so as not to be noticed, but I can still hear their conversation. Jesus walks over to the woman, lifts her head so that He can look into her eyes, and asks her if there is anyone here who condemns her. She looks around, sees no one but Jesus, and replies : "No one, Lord." Jesus tells her that He too does not condemn her, but to go and sin no more. A hint of a smile seems to appear on her face. Something deep within her knows that she has been forgiven by the only One who can forgive sins. Jesus takes her by the shoulders and gently kisses her forehead. The woman leaves happy and peaceful in the knowledge of being forgiven. Her shame and guilt begin to fade; you can tell by the lightness in her step.
I continue on my way thinking about all I have just witnessed. I think about this woman; I think about my own sins. I realize that I can not judge her for my own sins are just as grave as hers. Perhaps the next time I see Jesus I will find the courage to approach Him and ask, beg Him for healing. He seems to make all things new and whole.
*Reflection based on John 8:1~11.
**Painting by Rembrandt
Comments
I love this reflection :) I always wondered what Jesus was writing on the ground when I think of this passage. The only thing that occurs to me is that He was writing THEIR SINS on the ground and this is why they gradually walked away. It fits, don't you think?
Mary~ Jesus writing their sins makes sense. Although our priest at Mass today gave another possibility based on I think something from Jeremiah~ that because He wrote in the sand- perhaps their names- they would be blown away with the wind. The scribes and Pharisees were lost in and because of their sins. The Old Testament Scripture Father referred to talked about the names of those written in heaven. Shame on me I have forgotten much of what he said this morning but that's the gist of it. Also an interesting perspective.
But somehow I think we are privy to her life after meeting Jesus.We may not know the circumstances of this particular woman, but it's in every one of us who has returned to Him.Sometimes I think God has given us the accounts of the characters in John's Gospel to help us see ourselves in them.
THANK YOU!