Neither Do I Condemn You

If we show up at a party, in the different group dynamics, there will inevitably be someone who seems aloof and pulled away from everyone else in a group setting. Group dynamics dictate several thoughts that might run across our minds. Some might view the person negatively as “stuck-up” while others see it as a sign of shyness. However, we judge the person with no further information regardless of what might go through our minds. In some occasions, the host will come up with a contrived game or mixer, which is usually introduced into the dynamic to draw out the wallflowers. In my youth ministry era, I dreaded these the most. The nature of using something designed for fun and used to attempt engagement always took away the enjoyment of the activity and short-circuited the attempt to engage with someone at their own pace. We try many contrived things to get the desired result, like getting a middle school kid engaged in youth group, but Jesus warns us that sharing the transformation of the gospel message must begin with reaching people’s hearts. The law was God striving after people’s hearts; therefore when approaching the law, we must understand that it is not intended to destroy, but to bring all people closer to God. Thus, we cannot use it in any contrived way; instead, we must look at it as an opportunity to know more about Jesus. The scribes and Pharisees tried to trap Jesus using the law by lurking and finding someone trapped in sin. They made Jesus choose between compassionate mercy and strict adherence to the rule of law. Move in one direction, and Jesus disobeyed the law; move in another, and Jesus made trouble with Rome. However, the scribes and Pharisees cared less about Jesus’ decision and more about causing Him trouble.

2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), John 8:2-11.

Those intent on accusation often have an ulterior motive. Therefore, if our first instinct is accusation, we must examine our hearts. The accusers attempted to trap Jesus between upholding the law and showing compassion. Jesus’s response showed adept understanding of their tension and perfectly embodies both. Christ’s answer kept both in the framework of righteousness, not departing from gentleness. He transformed the trap into a snare for the accusers. The accusers were self-righteous and hypocritical, more concerned with trapping Jesus than with genuine justice or personal holiness. Jesus’s statement, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her,” exposes their sinfulness and silences their accusations. Proper judgment should begin with self-examination. People should assess their motives and moral standing as Christ calls on us, before pointing out someone else’s sin. In approaching any condemnation of sin, we must first humble ourselves by recognizing the depth of our failings and connect with how we need Christ to respond to us. Our shortcomings lead us to use judgment as a distraction, but Christ calls out in these moments to open our hearts to compassion and grace.

We must realize we require grace because of our sin and ongoing struggle to follow Jesus’ command to “Go and sin no more.” Grace allows us to draw closer to Jesus, while the law demands strict justice and punishment for sin. Jesus, while not abolishing the Law, offers forgiveness and a chance for a new life. Interacting with the woman, Christ brings us the law of grace, which frees sinners from punishment. Jesus does not condone the woman’s sin but offers her forgiveness and a call to repent. His command underscores the importance of turning away from sin. By the same word of God, when forgiveness is offered to us, we are also called to repent. However, this exhortation looks forward to the future, requiring sinners to acknowledge their sin, as we walk in the light of grace. While this passage does not eliminate our ability to call out sin when we see it, it does require us to hold onto compassion in one hand while looking upon sin, as we recognize our sinfulness. Through this perspective we connect with those entrapped by sin, and walk with them toward Jesus’ command to go and sin no more. Jesus sat with and walked with sinners, so that in contrast, their sin might be revealed. Our mission is to sit and walk with sinners so that they might draw closer to Christ and have their sin uncloaked and given to Christ.

We draw closer to our need for Christ’s salvation through the law, because the law serves to remind us that we are sinful and unable to save ourselves. In this passage, the law was used as a trap and a reminder to the woman that she was worthless. However, Christ intervenes and speaks directly into the accusers’ lives through the law’s power. Through the law they were not justified, therefore they could not understand how that justice should be carried out clearly. Though righteous, the law reveals humanity’s shortcomings and inability to adhere to its standards. The law condemns the adulterous woman, and by extension, it also convicts her accusers of their sins, demonstrating that all are sinners. However, the grace offered by Christ isn’t a dismissal of sin, but rather an empowerment to overcome it. The command to “go and sin no more” emphasizes that forgiveness leads to a changed life, guided by the Spirit. The danger for the church is to connect the accusers and the stones with the law. Unfortunately, many in the church take it as our responsibility to carry out the law and to bring condemnation. The reality is that Jesus, in perfection, represents the law, but in His mercy He also embodies grace. Our mission as the church is to guide people to the law through Christ’s embodiment of grace, just as we approach the law through the lens of God’s grace on the cross.

Holding in tension mercy and justice, Jesus looks upon the accusers and the woman. With sincerity, he asks the crowd to examine themselves and determine their ability to judge righteously, and one by one, they turn away. With compassion, he allows the woman to see that none of the accusers remain and offers her the most pleasant words, telling her, “Neither do I condemn you.” We must offer peace to people dealing with accusations and belittling for far too long. We don’t know much about this woman’s history. Still, a set of circumstances had likely led her toward being an object of lust and adultery, and we know nothing of the man that was a co-participant in the adultery. She was an easy target, and when people look for accusations they often pick the easy targets. Jesus didn’t take the bait. This passage reinforces the need to speak truth in love, balancing justice with compassion. Any word of judgment, healing, or cleansing the church seeks to speak that is not spoken in the name of Jesus Christ is a false, empty word. It has no authority. It is only by His name and by His authority that we can say, “Go and sin no more.” The church must respond with compassion and utilize the law as a device that brings people closer in relationship, and not a hammer to beat people over the head. We can’t get to the command to go and sin no more without first hearing Jesus say, “Neither do I condemn you.”