Let one without sin be throw a stone
When they kept on questioning Him, He straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7)
Those who tried to slander Jesus always hung around Jesus. After they went their home, Jesus went to the hill Olive. And the next day, He taught the people at the Temple as usual. Among the people who gathered in front of Jesus were Scribes and Pharisees too. They were not trying to listen to Jesus’ lesson, but looking for something to disparage Him with hatred and ill will. One day, they brought a woman caught on the spot while adultery and tested Jesus on the pretext of the Law. Jesus finally said to the woman, “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
As the Son of Man, Jesus’ life was a series of pain from the first. At the time He was born in Bethlehem, the Jewish land, His life was placed in danger because of King Herod’s order to kill babies. So He had to take refuge in Egypt and stay there until Herod died. His life before the Public life is not written in detail in the Bible, but He would had difficulties in many ways those times too. Even in the process of His Public life, for Jesus there seems to have been no fun and comfortable days of common life other than the things of ministry for heavenly kingdom. For Him, Olive Mountain was the place where He could rest quietly, meditate and pray.
All people in the world always suffers from life. The fundamental problem that not only the sages but also everyone has to solve is just that pain of human ife. There is no life without pain for man, such as physical and mental pain, difficulties caused by natural disasters and changes, and the struggle of an individual and races and the state for survival. Especially the pain of Christians would be even more hard. This is because they have to add to the believing struggle to overcome evil with good on top of all the suffering the general people have. The reason Jesus went to the hill Olive was to rest, meditate and to pray for the holy purpose of heavenly kingdom. In order for us to win the world in the just fight of faith, we will have to stay at the hill Olive like Jesus stayed at. Then what would Jesus’ Olive mountain mean? In Jesus’ Holy Spirit, to make rest one’s own body and mind, and to pray seeking grace with repentance and confession, this is the way the hill Olive.
Jesus’ task for people was to teach about the kingdom of God. Those who believe in Jesus should live according to Jesus’ teachings and also have to carry out the mission to also convey it for others. The church of Christ is a spiritual institution like a body that functions as disciple or the people of Jesus. If so, the church must learn Jesus’ teachings and practice them faithfully. Christ’s teaching is to do sacrifice, service, and to commit good deeds faithfully in the Holy Spirit. Jesus gave Himself for the people in the end by being in troubles as well as had lived a life of good deeds and service. Likewise, there are no other things church has to do except the purposes and subjects for Christ’s Salvation.
The Pharisees and Scribes, learned a lot, were smart and decent people in the society, but most of them played a bad role for purpose of disobeying Jesus and to incite the people. If the church does not obey Christ’s teachings, it may fall as a gathering of Satan. Then that will be as the fall of the church. Satan, who disturbs the church, use a strategy using the Law of God. Satan says this, “In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” What a plausible snare that is? They are evil doers who use the holy God’s words for unjust purposes. God’s words are holy and should be used for good purposes. To quote God’s words in order to make others do harm is evil doing. Those who try to find conditions to accuse Jesus, and those who do act of giving the pretending kindness in order to damage others down, will not escape from the eyes God’s punishment. Jesus knew all their intentions already.
Jesus did not respond anything directly to Pharisees and Scribes. For there was no need to give any excuses to the people with impure intent. Jesus said to the multitudesz, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” A while later, people gradually left from by Him. Jesus finally told the woman, “Go now and leave your life of sin.” Although we all are the sinners to be stoned, but even from now, through Jesus’ forgiveness and salvation, we will have to live without sinning again. Amen!
(Written by Koonoh, Pastor of JDO Presbyterian Church in Korea, on Nov 14th 2021)