"But early in the morning He arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to Him, and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle.
They said to him, 'Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?' They said this to test Him, so that they could have some charge to bring against Him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with His finger.
But when they continued asking Him, He straightened up and said to them, 'Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.' Again He bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So He was left alone with the woman before Him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?' She replied, 'No one, sir.' Then Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you. Go, (and) from now on do not sin any more.' (John 8:2-11)
Commentators have written a lot about this scripture passage, giving us an understanding of how the scribes and Pharisees were envious and rebellious, plotting to accuse Jesus of religious, criminal and political misconduct. But how can I relate these words to my life?
Biblical scholars point out the obvious lesson about condemning others without first judging ourselves. But the curious will ask: what did Jesus write in the sand? I believe it doesn't matter. Jesus stopped the "religious police" in their tracks by bringing them face to face with their own transgressions.
Their personal examination could have been induced by His words. Their self-audit could have been a result of what He penned in the dirt. Or it could have been a combination of both. What we do know is that, one by one, they walked away and left Jesus with the sinful woman. It's almost as if he drew a line in the sand, forcing a choice between Him or sin.
This scene is vivid in my imagination because I can place myself in that setting. Yes, the woman's sin separated her from God, but let's get real – all mortal sin separates us from God. We can all relate to the sinful woman. We have all been brought at one time or other to stand in front of Jesus.
When Jesus told the woman to go and sin no more, He said it with authority, love, mercy and compassion. Jesus gave her a second chance.
Recently while reading a prayer, my eyes lingered on the word "all." "All" is a small word with a profound meaning. When we wash dishes, we wash all of them. When we go to the movies, we watch the whole show. When we read a book, we read every page. Unfortunately, when it comes to one's spiritual life and our salvation, the word "all" may not be what we're giving.
Audit your life: where do you stand? Are you giving all of yourself to Jesus, or are you giving Him an hour a week, maybe two considering the drive time and socializing? What about the other aspects of your life? Do you speak for Jesus, or would He look and say, "Go and sin no more"? Do you dress for Jesus, or would He look and say, "Go and sin no more"? When you choose how to spend money, would He look and say, "Go and sin no more"? When you watch TV or go on the internet, would He look and say, "Go and sin no more"? Is your life above reproach, or would Jesus write in the sand? Whom do you serve: yourself or your Lord?
Self-examination and conversion of heart aren't done just once a year, once a week, or once a day. Yes, God's grace and mercy are available to us, but we are held accountable, just as the sinful woman was. St. Thérèse of Lisieux said it this way: "You cannot be half a saint; you must be a whole saint or no saint at all."
An old hymn written by Judson W. Van De Venter back in 1896, says, "All to Jesus I surrender; all to Him I freely give. I will ever love and trust Him, in His presence daily live." It's about time we draw a line in the sand, leaving sin on the other side.
Barbara Case Speers is a writer who lives in Hickory.