BIBLE STUDY: STONED... or not?
A. BACKGROUND... Have you ever had a great teacher? While studying at Harvard Divinity School I took courses with Dr. Diana Eck, where spontaneous applause broke out after her lectures. Hopefully, we have all had a few such teachers. Most of Jesus’ teaching we get in short bites – a parable, a saying, snippets of conversation. John’s Gospel gives us a few extended “courses” with Jesus. We can see his mind at work, the logical progression of key points, his give and take with the audience. In John 7 and 8 we see a great teacher at work.
B. TODAY... John 8:1-11. The Woman Caught in Adultery, plus vs. 12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
C. SUMMARY. This story teaches itself. We may not need my “Key Points.” While Jesus is teaching on the Temple grounds some religious leaders drag a woman before Jesus, claiming she had been “caught in the act of adultery.” They remind Jesus that they have Jewish-religious-traditional-historic right to stone her to death. St. John states that they were hoping to “trap” Jesus by asking if he thought they should kill her? Mysteriously, Jesus kneels on the earth, writes in the dirt, and challenges the stone-throwers with his famous retort: “let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” When the religious leaders walk away Jesus engages the woman in conversation, affirming that no one has stayed to stone her or condemn her. “Neither do I condemn you – go and sin no more.” On the heals of this powerful incident, Jesus declares, “I am the light of the world.” With me, he explains, you won’t live in darkness.
D. KEY POINTS
1. Wait!! – where’s the man?? She was caught, right? In the act, right? It takes two to tango, right? Sadly, all through history there has been this “double standard.” Men are players, studs, uncontrollable. Women are seductresses, the cause of men’s follies. That’s what people thought. In other words, the missing person in this story just couldn’t help himself. Whether rape or consensual, the woman was at fault. And therefore, the perpetrator. That’s the reason for burqas and hair coverings, etc. Jesus sees the hypocrisy, the holier-than-thou blood lust, and the victim, and deals with it all. He calms the blood lust by buying time, calming the mob. He confronts their hypocrisy by forcing them to confront their own sins. And he literally saves the woman – first, from stoning; second, from her own sin (“go and sin no more”).
2. LIGHT. In mid snow storm Monday I prayed that our power wouldn’t go out. Darkness is rarely fun. Darkness is a stand-in for everything from stumbling around and bumping into things to fear of the unknowns and even for punishment. The Bible contrasts light and darkness all the time. God’s word, creation, Jesus himself, and Jesus’ expectations of us are all phrased as light. In the most practical ways light clarifies and guides; offers perspective and safety; brings confidence and hope. It is interesting that Jesus’ declaration that he is the light of the world follows the woman caught in an adultery story. Jesus had shined his light on misogyny, hypocrisy, violence, and sin. By doing so he saved the woman from death. He saved the mob from evil. What’s Yale’s motto? Lux et Veritas. Light and Truth.
