Between Rocks and a Hard Question
When faced with ethical choices, some people ask: “What would Jesus do?” But when Jesus was in such circumstances, what question did He ask?
In John 8:1-11, the enemies of Jesus drag before Him a woman caught in the act of adultery. Having let the offending man go free, they cruelly use the woman as bait in a trap to capture Jesus. Hefting rocks, they throw a hard question at Jesus, “Moses said to stone this disgraceful woman. But what do you say, Jesus?” What a charade of holiness.
Placed in this ethical dilemma between enforcing God’s law or applying God’s mercy, what will Jesus do? Well, in John 8:28-29 Jesus says that He does nothing without the initiative of God the Father.
Therefore, the Father is the One who directs Jesus to stoop down and write on the ground with His finger. What did Jesus write on the ground? We don’t know, but the most compelling guess I’ve heard is this: Perhaps Jesus wrote names that the Father spoke to him — names of people with whom the accusers had had sexual dalliances.
Next, the Father instructs Jesus to stand up and command that the first stone be thrown by a sinless person among them. Again Jesus stoops down and writes on the ground. One by one they drop their stones and leave.
Then, the Father leads Him to ask the woman where her accusers are. When she reports their exit, the Father gives Jesus these words to declare: “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (v. 11, NKJV).
The Father initiates it all. Jesus models for us how to simultaneously remain silent before people, while listening and waiting for the Father’s direction. The Father reveals how to touch the consciences of self-righteous accusers and to show mercy to the sinner.
Actually, however, someone without sin is present – Jesus! But His Father denies Him the right to condemn or to mete out punishment. That somewhat archaic word “mete” calls to mind Matthew 7:2, “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” The Greek word translated as “measure” is metro, from which we get “mete” and “meter,” a devise that measures something. Therefore, Matthew 7:2 could be translated: “the meter you use to meter others will be used to meter you.”
The measure the Father shows Jesus (and us) to use is mercy. Because mercy is God’s meter with us, our meter with others should be mercy. When we take this to heart, accusing and gossiping lose their influence on us.
To sum up, Jesus models for us how to be neither quick to speak nor quick to condemn, but to seek the Father’s will and wisdom.
This is post #11 in an ongoing dialog about the Gospel of John occurring online at www.philbickel.com, Facebook, and Youtube. You’re invited to join the conversation.
A catalyst for the dialogue is a free 97-page ebook by Phil Bickel, Fullness or Fraction in the Gospel of John, which introduces readers to 10 essential building blocks of life in Christ.
[Photos 1 and 2 used with permission from www.LumoProject.com.]