Whose Faults?

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” they were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them. “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

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. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

John 8 : 3 – 11

I did not understand the whole story when I first read it many years ago. A Bible teacher shared that the point in the story is not in the woman. However, focus on what Jesus said. He only said one very effective sentence to the capturers: “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

These days, we are quick in condemning others over a little fault. We saw everything as others’ faults. We are the sad result of their ‘faults’. Since we cannot do anything, we can only blame those unfortunate who pass our way.

It is time we search our hearts. Are we really without any fault? If God doesn’t judge us, it only shows how kind and generous He is. Since God is able to accept us despite our faults, we should be able to accept others, who are as imperfect as us.