Reprieve
Do you believe in second chances?
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, they said to him, Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say? - John 8:3-5
There is no doubt this woman is guilty. She was caught in the act.
Of course, she wasn't alone, so one wonders about the man, but the fact that the scribes and Pharisees brought her to Jesus points to something they already knew about him. He was forgiving sins. He was letting people skirt the law.
His whole purpose in coming was to free people from their sins, so it makes sense he would offer them a chance to change.
What is so memorable about this story, though, is that Jesus doesn't hesitate. He is not at all concerned about being challenged. Instead, he does something that turns the tide on the judging crowd, something we might all wish we could do at times.
In the end, all the men who would blindly follow the law and stone the woman to death, leave. Suddenly, they are not so innocent, not so sure they can judge others fairly.
And Jesus tells the woman she is free to go. But she is not free to do again what almost led to her destruction.
Imagine if all of us looked for ways to turn someone around rather than punish them.
The only ones who would be imprisoned or punished would be those who refused to change their ways.
So, how would that work?
I know a few people who would definitely take advantage, returning almost immediately to do what they had been doing before. But Jesus was willing to take that chance.
Perhaps he knew something about the people we don't know, but it seems he was less concerned that they would hurt others.
That's our main motivator, isn't it? Don't we put people away to protect others?
Or do we want punishment?
Maybe that is what he reminded the men about, their desire to punish and their own motivations in doing so.
So, the question is this. Do we abandon our laws? I don't think so. Yes, we can let God do the punishing, and perhaps we should do a better job at offering second chances.
After all, that is what Jesus came to do, isn't it?
More to come...