Lessons to Ponder: A Woman Caught in Adultery

This week in the scene of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11), Fr. Dom explains 5 points that we should contemplate:

Throwing Stone Complex

The woman was caught in the act of adultery and though Jesus was sinless, he did not judge her. He did not take side with the crowd nor did he confront her or condemn her. He did not insult her or humiliate her. Instead, he showed her mercy, unlike the Pharisees and Scribes who formed a mob to exhibit their justice and righteousness but lacked goodness. They threw her in public and humiliated her.

Be careful of the throwing stone complex.  Do not follow the crowd and throw stones simply because we do not like them. Do not be too quick to judge and punish others.

Writing – time off

Jesus took time to answer the crowd. He was writing on the ground. The bible does not tell us what he wrote but he did not rush into giving them a response.

We too should not rush into making decisions. Take time to discern especially in times of uncertainty. Do not be hasty in doing things.

Check Before You Throw the Stone

The Pharisees and the scribes had only one intention which was to trap Jesus. They were not sincere in seeking justice. They wanted to be seen as righteous in upholding the law. Thus anyone who was with them will also be seen as righteous.

Verify the information before criticising. We need to be sure before we comment. We also need to look into our intentions- what is our purpose for criticising. Is it to belittle someone, trap him or her, and hurt him or her or to help them? Our criticism should help someone grow and improve. Our criticism should be constructive and done out of love and compassion..

Running Away Complex

The crowd left when Jesus said, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.“

Do not quickly run away from a situation either. We need to take responsibility for our decisions.

Repentance- Do Not Sin and Take Ownership

We need to own our sins. Be accountable for what we have done and repent. We need to take stock of our lives-reflect and change.