The Condemnation of Men

She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

John 8:11 (NKJV)

According to the law of Moses, anyone, regardless of age, social status, wealth, or responsibilities, who commits the sin of adultery must be stoned to death. No consideration can be given. The only way to escape such a death is to never commit the sin. Sadly, many have fallen into it, even though they know what awaits them. The purpose of this treatment for this sin was the purification of the people. God wanted to lead the people to live in integrity and righteousness. He wanted them to understand the gravity of their sin.

If Moses demanded stoning, what about Jesus Christ? In this verse, we see the Pharisees bring before Jesus a woman who had committed the sin of adultery to condemn Him if He said not to stone her. Instead of focusing on this woman, Jesus generalized the sin by saying, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." In fact, two things must be understood about Jesus' attitude. (1) He took into account all the sins that each person could commit, and (2) He wanted to emphasize that everyone was impure, regardless of the type of sin committed.

If you read the preceding verses, you will see that none of the Pharisees had the courage to throw a stone. On the contrary, they all left one after the other. And, turning to the woman, Jesus did not condemn her; He simply said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; Go and sin no more." Often, those who condemn us are neither holier nor purer than we are. They are just as sinful as we are, but as long as their sin remains secret, they believe themselves safe from everything. But God looks into the hearts of those who tremble before Him and those who will never repent. If He does not condemn you, then no one else will.

May the grace and peace of God be with you all.