Read it for yourself in John 7:53-8:11.
There is a detail here that mystifies many. When they come to Jesus, and ask him what they should do, Jesus "bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground." After a while, he stands up and that is when the says, "Let the one who is without sin......." Then he "once more he bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground." This writing on the ground seems a strange thing to do; a strange thing for the Gospel writer to include. He continues to write, until everyone of the woman's accusers have dropped their stones and returned to their own home.
Some have speculated that he wrote the names and sins of the accusers. Others that he merely wrote the various commands and as folks saw the list they became aware of their transgressions. Still others have seen his writing with his finger on the ground as a reminder that we are all dust and dirt and nothing (even our transgressions) lasts forever. Maybe he was just showing his impatience with them and their petty attempts to entrap him. Maybe the action is some sort of forgotten, symbolic behavior - like exposing the bottom of your shoe to a middle-eastern resident.
I have chosen to think that Jesus wrote some sampling of the various laws contained in the books of Moses which the people had decided to ignore. There are plenty of them; and there are many instances in which we pick and choose which laws MUST be obeyed and which can be ignored. It is even likely that Jesus wrote some of those which pertained to the elevating of the sins and punishments pertaining to women while ignoring the instructions that might be read as specifically for men.
We still tend to do this. We are all very sensitive to using the name of God in vain. (Of course, by that, we generally limit our observance to not saying "G-- D---", while Luther reminds us it is as great a transgression when we use God's name in order to claim that what we say is "right.") We are sensitive to this, because we know it is considered such a grievous sin by some. But we have no second thoughts about buying that second coat, when we know how many people in the world don't have one.
"Who is here to condemn you?" Jesus asks the woman. "No one," she replies.
Condemnation is so easy to speak of; but it must be applied with great care.
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