Thank God for overzealous religious leaders. They are quick to judge, even in the church. Look to them to be the first to identify the one whose skirt is short or whose head is uncovered. It is crucial to note that God Himself is not impressed with them. Nonetheless, in their misplaced fervor, they often prove useful. I like the story in the eighth chapter of the Gospel of John and cannot help laughing each time I read it. It tells of the redeemed adulteress.
Some believers who know the story claim that Jesus might similarly have laughed at the religious leaders as he wrote in the sand. We do a little refresher for those who may not be familiar with the account. In the 3rd verse, Jesus was in the temple when these Pharisees and scribes brought the woman to him. Remember how we said people are quick to judge even in the church? It did not start today.
They charged her with adultery. Some people had caught her in the very act so there was no denying it. She could only plead guilty. One of the portions that never fails to crack me up is their real agenda. These men knew that adultery was not like murder, which you could commit single-handedly. Like tango, it takes two to commit a
dultery. Therefore, you can conclude the woman’s adultery was not the real agenda.
Using The Redeemed Adulteress To Test Jesus
The Pharisees were there to test Jesus, as we see in verse 6. Would He plead the woman’s case and acquit her? It takes a fool to test God and that is what has me in stitches all the time. Perhaps He would allow them to stone her to death as prescribed by the law. Those religious leaders could then claim Jesus was not a God of mercy.
These overzealous religious leaders were unaware of the manifold wisdom of God and that Jesus would beat them at their game. In the next verse, Jesus commanded the one among them who was without sin to set the ball rolling. That man should start the process of stoning her. Ouch! That must have hurt their ego. If they had known, they would never have accused the redeemed adulteress.
Jesus’ request exposed them as sinners of the worst type. They were the type who would pick at someone else’s sawdust while ignoring the log in their own eyes. And you know how Jesus hated hypocrisy. Eight times in Matthew 23, Jesus cursed those religious leaders as hypocrites.
They Did The Woman A Favor
Please find time to read it, especially if your pastors are like these men. They highlight your sin while suppressing theirs. After Jesus issued the command, they left one by one until Jesus was alone with the redeemed adulteress. Of course, she was not redeemed then; that came later but think about it.
How would an adulteress have ever met Jesus? Most sins, especially adultery, are committed under cover of darkness and in closed spaces. That meant this woman was probably spending most of her days in a dark hotel in the back alley of the town. Even if she wanted to come out of her brothel, she would do it when nobody was around, like the woman of Samaria.
That woman came to draw water when she knew nobody would be at the well. Like this redeemed adulteress, she met her Messiah and became an instant evangelist. This time, the woman had the Pharisees to thank for dragging her to Jesus. These religious leaders served as her positive problem.
Do Not Resist An Evil Man
It would not surprise me that this is why Jesus advised us in Matthew 5.39 not to resist an evil person. By their judgmental attitude, they dragged the woman to Jesus and she did not resist them. And the woman met Jesus, whom she would not have met otherwise. Sometimes, we only need to get past our hurts and look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
Jesus allowed this woman to do that by shaming her accusers and sending them away. That was when Jesus interacted with her, forgave her the sin, and converted her into a redeemed adulteress. The sin was there but it was forgiven. That is how you and I became children of God, bound for Heaven.
God does not overlook sins but forgives them when we truly repent. When this woman sees them in Heaven – if they ever get there – she will thank her accusers. Without them, how would she have met Jesus? How would she have made it to heaven? She would have forever remained an ordinary adulteress but not a redeemed adulteress.
Maranatha!
