Freedom Not License

Introduction

I recently had to translate the passage John 7: 53 - 8: 11 from New Testament Greek to English for a monthly reading group I am part of (I’ve included my final translation at the end). In doing this I read these verses much slower than ever before. And sat with them for much longer than before. That in itself is a great lesson; sit with scripture for longer than you might think or find natural. In that place of slow deliberate thought you will find fresh insight.

As I read the passage slowly and repeatedly I saw new things. Aspects of the story I had not spotted before. As I talked about these verses in the reading group other people shared their insights. So, now I am spending some time with the story again. And I encourage you to read it before continuing with this study. Read it slowly and more than once, take note of the features that you spot, that perhaps you had missed until now.

Who, Where, When

Three important aspects of this account are who is involved, where does it take place, and when does it happen. At a surface level these are all very easy to answer, yet with a little more probing those answers can be so helpful to us as we follow Jesus.

From John 7 we know that this is at the Festival of Booths in Judea. Jesus’ brothers have gone to the festival, Jesus waits and goes to the festival after them. I think this delay shows us that Jesus’ timing and motivation for going are different to his brothers. That in itself is something we can apply in our own lives. Jesus’ timing is always right, and always better than ours. When He arrives he begins to teach in the Temple (John 7: 14). At this time there is an attempt to arrest Jesus, but the Temple Police do not arrest Him because “Never has anyone spoken like this!” (John 7: 45b RSV).

After this exchange Jesus appears to spend the night on the Mount of Oliver (John 7: 53 - 8: 2). It is the next day while Jesus was once again at the temple, and the people were coming to Him, that we see the scribes and the Pharisees enter, leading with them a woman caught in adultery.

So, we know this is set at the end of the Festival Booths, and that we are in the Temple. We are told that as the scene unfolds there is Jesus, a large crowd of people, the scribes and Pharisees, and the woman. It was only as I slowly read this very familiar passage that I realised how many people were present. I had previously pictured a more exclusive gathering. This new picture really does make the scene more impactful, as we shall see.

What is the motivation of the scribes and Pharisees?

Before we dig into this we need to acknowledge that the man involved in the adultery was just as guilty. 

“They [the scribes and Pharisees] limited the application of the law saying it applied to such women, when in fact the law applied to both the adulterers and the adulteresses (Lev. 20: 10, Deut. 22: 22).”

(Kruse, C. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries John, Revised Edition, IVP, 2017, p227)

I think what this shows, and what Kruse says in the commentary, is that this exchange is not primarily about the woman or the act of adultery. There is something else going on here. We can learn from the surface reading, but we will learn more from digging beneath the surface.

To get beneath the surface we have to ask, and try to understand, what the Pharisees were hoping to achieve by the exchange. 

“... 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.”

John 8: 4-6a

They wanted to accuse Jesus, but what of, and who to? Understanding that will help us see their motive.

This question is a trap. Jesus is known for showing compassion, but to do so here would go against the law of Moses. In which case He could be accused before the religious leaders. On the other hand, to uphold the Mosaic Law would mean inflicting capital punishment, something that the Romans did not permit the Jews to do. So, to take this path would mean Jesus was breaking the law of Rome, and could be accused before the civic leaders.

Those bringing this woman to Jesus are looking to get rid of Him. Do we ever do this? Do we ever try to find a way around Jesus? Perhaps looking for a way to ignore His teaching, or to simply live for ourselves? Well, we should learn that Jesus is a lot smarter, and a lot more loving than that.

Practical Application 

• Ask the Holy Spirit to show you times you try to justify your own way and ignore Jesus’ way.

• Spend time saying sorry for that and asking God to show you His way.

Jesus Answers

What Jesus does next leads to one of the great unanswered, but ultimately not that important, questions. He bends down and writes with his finger in the ground. What does He write? We don’t know, and speculating seems pointless. He also speaks, and this is recorded.

“When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If anyone of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.””

John 8: 7

Jesus is clearly not falling into their trap. He is turning this legal trap into a moment of personal moral reflection. He has not questioned the validity of Mosaic law, nor has He condemned the woman leading to a civic issue.

“Questioning Jesus leads to the questioners being questioned in a way that transforms the very terms of the inquiry.”

(Ford, D. The Gospel of John A Theological Commentary, Baker Academic, 2021, p175)

None of those present could claim to be sinless. To do so would be to claim something beyond mere human goodness. Again, Jesus writes on the ground; perhaps returning to this action signifies that He is done with this debate, and that He intends to go nowhere.

Slowly the accusers all leave, only Jesus remains. In front of the crowd in the temple Jesus has avoided the trap and opened a way for healing and change.

What challenge does this present to us? What is the lesson we can learn from this exchange?

If we consider this moment alongside other teachings of Jesus, say Matthew 7:1-5, we can see there is a lesson about not judging others. As we read on in John we see that each of the accusers walks away.

“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.”

John 8: 9

Each one walking away must have been considering their own sin. Jesus has put them on a path of self reflection (Ford, D. p176).

I think these two points are the challenge for us. Do we judge others? Do we bring ourselves to Jesus for forgiveness, or do we bring others for condemnation?

Practical Application

• Spend some time in self reflection, allow the Holy Spirit to lead and prompt you to ask for forgiveness.

• Ask God to help you not to judge others, but to seek their good.

Don’t Condemn, Don’t Condone

It is clear at this point that Jesus is the only one who is without sin. The fact that He remains standing there with the woman tells us that He alone can issue judgement, that He alone can enact the Mosaic law. But Jesus does not condemn her. In front of the crowd gathered in the temple Jesus sets her free.

“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.”

John 8: 10-11a

She is gently, and publicly set free, she is not condemned, she is not stoned. She is restored to life.

If the story were to end here it would feel a little odd. It would seem that Jesus is ok with this behaviour, that He might be a little blasé towards sin. What Jesus says next should leave us with no room for such thought.

“Go now and leave your life of sin.”John 8: 11b

Jesus hasn’t condemned the woman, and nor does He condemn us. But He does not condone the behaviour. In setting the woman free He sets her on a path of change, a path to real freedom.

When I was translating this verse I realised that this is not a suggestion. Jesus is not gently suggesting or recommending a change. He is using the imperative mood. This means He is giving a command, a clear instruction that the woman is to obey. 

For us this means that in Jesus there is no condemnation, and there is no license for sin, Jesus will not condone our sinfulness. He is calling us to a better, bigger freedom that the world can offer. As this woman is set free so are we, as she is given a new life so are we, and as she is challenged to live differently so are we.

Practical Application

• Thank Jesus for His forgiveness.

• Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you into a life of greater obedience to Jesus, a life of greater freedom in Him.

My Translation

And each one went into their own house, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Now, early in the morning he came to the temple again, and all the people were coming to him, and having sat he was teaching them. The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and put her in the midst of them they said to him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery; and in the law Moses commanded that such women are to be stoned; therefore, what do you say?" Now they said this to test him, so that they might have something to accuse him of. But Jesus bent down and with his finger wrote in the ground. But as they continued questioning him, he straightened up and said to them "let the sinless of you throw the first stone at her." And again he bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard this they went away one by one, beginning with the eldest, and he was left alone, and the woman was in the middle. And having straightened up Jesus said to her "Woman, where are they? Has no-one condemned you?" She replied, "No-one, Lord." Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you, go, and from now on no longer sin."

John 7: 53 - 8: 11