Skip to content This is the all-too-familiar story of the woman caught in adultery in the Bible. There is so much we can learn from this powerful encounter Jesus has with a young woman leading a life of sin, and the religious leaders who were bent on discrediting Jesus in a public manner. What can we learn from this New Testament story? This is a story of forgiveness, self-righteousness, judgment, and the depth of Jesus’s grace. Let’s explore this further.
The Story of the woman caught in adultery in the Bible
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” John 8: 3-11
What’s Going on Here
Essentially, what’s going on here is that the ruling religious leaders of the time wanted to expose Jesus, as he was causing a stir among the people, and they wanted to show that he could not be from God. They brought to him a woman caught in sexual relations with a man who was not her husband and embarrassingly brought her to the feet of Jesus. According to the Law of Moses, or the Jewish law, such women were to be stoned to death. They wanted to know if Jesus would abide by the authority of the scripture or not.
The problem with this was that Israel was under Roman occupation, where only the Romans could enact and enforce the death penalty. So, would Jesus uphold the Mosaic Law and allow the mob to stone her, thereby breaking Roman law? Or would he follow the Roman rules of capital punishment, thus discrediting the sacred laws of Moses? The Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus in this scenario.
However, John’s gospel shows how Christ Jesus brilliantly handles this situation. He commands that those without sin cast the first stone. This answer, which the religious leaders did not expect, upholds the Law of Moses while also adhering to the Roman rules of the time.
What can we Learn from this Story
There is so much to learn from this poignant story, but I want to focus on one aspect: the grace and mercy of Jesus. If you have read the Gospel of John and this story is familiar to you, Jesus’s love and gentleness are apparent. We imagine a scene where a woman is shamefully pulled into a crowd, humiliated, and on the verge of a death sentence. We feel compassion for this sinful woman. While rebuking the leaders, Jesus is gentle with the woman, and we admire his kindness and wisdom.
However, I want to examine this story from a particular context to better understand how the religious leaders may have seen this woman and how Jesus’s grace is greater than we realize.
Our society is devolving into a graceless one where infractions are becoming unforgivable. Even among Christians, there are murmurs of self-righteous attitudes towards those who are less well-kept. Certainly, doing the right thing at all times is what we aim for, but we have all fallen short. The woman standing in front of Jesus is undoubtedly a sinner, which she acknowledges. However, let’s pretend for a moment that she were in today’s context. Although the biblical text does not expand on her life beyond her adulterous act, it is possible that she has committed more than adultery.
Let’s assume that in this day and age, she selfishly seduced a married man. Let’s assume the worst: she deceived him and harbored enmity towards the man’s wife and children. Let’s say this is not a first-time occurrence but a repeated offense. Perhaps she does it for more nefarious reasons, like for money, or she steals in the process, or even worse, she enjoys the crumbling of the family unit.
Of course, this is extrapolating, but why not assume the worst of this woman? Clearly, everyone did not deny her sinful ways, which were likely public knowledge. So let’s assume the worst. Now, if this were a woman you heard of today, I would argue that many would have difficulty showing compassion. Perhaps many of us would want a certain amount of justice. Maybe not the death penalty, but a desire for her to understand the pain she has caused.
Yet Jesus does not demand any of this. There was no stipulation to the grace he offered. Instead, he recognized our propensity to sin and past sins and chose to demonstrate that none of us have the authority to enact judgment on one another, as we are all equally guilty of our mistakes.
I’ve noticed a trend in our Western culture: an air of self-righteousness. There is an attitude of “I could never do such a thing.” This is evident in the polarization of political thought and in the way society shuns certain sins. People are becoming less able to see themselves in the sinner’s shoes.
The problem that many people have is that we view some sins as worse than our own. Because you may have never had an adulterous relationship, it’s easy to think that you are not capable of having one. Some years ago, a teenager was shooting fireworks in the natural forest near where I live. As you might guess, this caused massive wildfires, leading to thousands of acres of beautiful landscape and hiking trails being lost. There was an outcry and death threats towards this teenage boy. It would be easy for me to have that same sentiment, except that when I was an unwise teenager, I had done something similar but, thankfully, did not cause any damage. Because I acknowledge my past and what I was capable of as a child, I had compassion for this boy.
Jesus, on the other hand, is able to have compassion without drawing from a shared understanding of past sins. He offered grace, and then afterward commanded her to leave her life of sin. Love, mercy, and compassion first, followed by a command.
Conclusions
Jesus’ response to the adulterous woman is a compelling example of the love that Jesus has despite our failures. Like Jesus, we should lead with love and mercy in every interaction with every person we encounter and leave judgment to God.
