Religion
Taken in adultery
Martin Sullivan
'The scribes and Parisees bring a woman staken in adultery and having set her in the midst, they say to Jesus, 'Master, this woman hath been taken in adultery, what sayest thou of her?' And this they said tempting Him that they might have whereof to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground. But when they continued asking Him He lifted Himself, and said unto them, 'He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her', and again He stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. And they, when they heard it, went Out one by one, beginning from the eldest, even unto the last and Jesus lifted up Himself and said unto her 'Woman where are they? Did no man condemn thee?' and she said, 'No man, Lord', and Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn thee; go thy way; from henceforth sin no more'."
The story is an exciting one full of all the elements of the attack of authority upon an outlaw on the run. Here is a chance for him to vindicate himself by the right answers. They draw an offender into his midst, one whose guilt is obvious, caught in the very act. They do not want His help in reaching a decision, but rather to test Him publicly, to bring His well-known merciful disposition towards sinners into the searching light of public and conventional opinion. If He is the man lie claims to be, let him answer this one: What is your judgement on a woman caught in the very act of adultery? To the solemnly attested evidence is added the salacious pleasure of the voyeur. Christ saw through this hypocritical bluff, and He challenged it. At first He ignored it as He :vould a pistol at His head. He stooped down and wrote on the ground.
Foolishly His visitors pressed Him. "Don't try to escape the issue. Stoning is the punishment for this offence." (It wasn't but they were keen dramatists.) It was like saying hanging today is the penalty for murder. They badgered Him, so finally" He drew Himself up and looked at them. Gazing at the ground was preferable to eyeing their nauseating hypocrisy. "He that is without sin amongst you, let him first cast a stone at her." It was as if, by a piercing glance, He had pointed a gun at them and made them disarm. He stooped down again and wrote once more on the ground. They slunk out beginning with the eldest. Perhaps their longer catalogue of crime urged them at least to set a good example. Christ was left alone with the woman. It was an emotional moment. At no time could she feel that she had been treated as a humah being. Her accursers could not have cared less for her. She was simply a useful tool to be employed and she had no idea what this new teacher might say. As He put her enemies to rout, He then turned and addressed her with tenderness. As He lifted Himself up, for He had not bothered to watch their ignominous departure, He said, "Where are they, did no man condemn thee?" She said, "No man Lord," and Jesus said "Neither do I condemn thee; go thy way, from henceforth sin no more." His final word is neither of condemnation, nor of forgiveness, but a charge to forsake her former way of life. This arresting incident, is not part of St John's Gospel, but centuries later as a piece of floating tradition, came to be inserted in its present place. It is found in no manuscript earlier than the 6th century. Some editions of the Bible print it as an appendix. But the message rings true and the encounter surely reveals the mind of Christ. In so many of these moral issues He is much less censorious than many of His disciples. The reason this story is half in and half out of the Bible is partly due to the fact that the early Christians could not make up their minds whether it' was edifying or the reverse and there are many today who would still be prepared to censor it. They suggest that Our Lord is a little too lenient in His attitude towards the sins of the flesh.
Martin Sullivan is Dean of St Paul's
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