Adulterous Woman: A Story of Hope And Redemption
John 8:1-11
The adulterous woman isn't on anyone’s list of Sheroes. She’s not admired or applauded for her kind deeds. She is known solely by her act of sin. Adultery has consumed her identity and left her with its name to bare. Disgracefully, she is dragged into the presence of Jesus by self-righteous men who intend to exploit her, solely to lure Jesus into playing political theater, giving no regard for her dignity. Fully exposed, broken and ashamed, she encounters a man who touches her soul. It is in this encounter that she experiences unfailing love and irresistible grace. Jesus, in the midst of her scandalous situation, sees her and restores her.
At the calm of morning she’s sought out and paraded before Jesus with the intent of being used by men as a pawn in their lofty religious debate for the high price of her life. “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Moses in the Law, gives orders to stone such a person. What do you say?” She listens in shame as her accusers publicly expose her sin and begins to recoil at the demands for her execution; fearing for her life as the crowd forms and the lurkers await her demise. There is no one around to intervene, no one who knows the full story, and no one to save her. Surrounded by her accusers, feeling broken, worn and exhausted, she awaits the inevitable. Everyone watches and anticipates the sentencing Jesus will place upon her. Never could these men fathom that the man they’ve assumed to bring upon her death, would be the one to give her life.
Jesus takes the attention off the woman and places it onto himself. He kneels down and begins to write on the ground. It’s a mystery to all what exactly he was writing. Perhaps he wrote “Where is the man?,” knowing the mosaic law requires stoning of the woman and man. But as Jesus begins to write in the dirt, in that moment everything changes. It’s as if he is re-writing her story in the face of her accusers. Jesus stands and responds to the crowd, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw the stone.” Jesus completely disregards their demands. Instead, he places demands onto the crowd of men, causing them to confront their own hypocrisy. The jeering crowd suddenly became silent as the thoughts of their own sins came fluttering back to their mind. For once, they find themselves unable to boast in their righteousness and are forced to endure the weight of their own secret sins. As the crowd begins to vanish, Jesus with compassion and respect, looks at the woman and asks her, “Has anyone condemned you” and she responds “No." Jesus, being full of grace wrapped in justice and mercy, says to the woman, "Neither do I, go and sin no more." What comes next for the adulterous woman remains unknown. We don't know how she may have influenced others with the freedom Christ offered her. We’re only left to hope that she continued to walk in liberty.
My sister, your story isn't finished, it’s still being written. Christ is writing your story in front of your accusers. Those who identify you solely by your sin, based on rumors they’ve heard, constantly reminding you of your darkest moments, leaving you to bare the shame and guilt of your mistakes. Over time, those voices and the decisions of your past, have infiltrated the thoughts of who you are. Jesus is ever before you erasing your sin, removing your shame and boasting in the fact that you are His. Christ sees you, knows you and celebrates who you are and the woman you're becoming. Walk in your freedom knowing Christ has set you free. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Joseph was abused, David was a murderer and adulterer, and Rehab was a prostitute, but the Bible calls them heroes. You my sister, are a Shero.