1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 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. 7And 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.” 8And 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.”

Reflection Questions

John 8:3-9
• What caused the accusers to go away “one by one, beginning with the older ones”? What can I learn about the nature of sin from the fact that the older ones were the first who went away? Has the awareness of my own sinfulness grown or lessened over the years?

• Do I need to drop a stone I have picked up in accusation of someone?

• What would have been the accusers’ view of themselves as they came? What would have been their view as they left? What did they miss?

• How did the teachers of the law and the Pharisees treat the woman caught in adultery? How did Jesus treat her? What can I learn about Jesus from this? How does this give me courage to come to Jesus with my sins?

John 8:10-11
• What did the woman caught in adultery deserve? What did she receive from Jesus? How would she have responded to Jesus’ command, “Go now and leave your life of sin”?

• How have I personally experienced the words “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more”?