Dangling Participants

John 7:53-8:11 (NRSV)


Then each of them went home, while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. 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?" They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus straightened up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, sir." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again."
 
Who are the main figures in this scene?  Well, we have the scribes and the pharisees, of course.  And we have all of the people who had gathered to listen to to Jesus' teachings.  There's the sinner who has been singled out from the others, because she had been caught in adultery.  And we have Jesus, fully present yet seemingly detached for a good part of the story.  
 
I can see myself wandering through this scene.   Some of characters seem more like me than others, perhaps, but throughout the course of my 59 years I have been student, bystander, judge, and sinner.  And I have approached the Lord many times with the request:  Tell me what to do!!!!!  
 
One might wonder what was going on with Jesus as he doodled in the sand.  I think Jesus was letting the participants dangle for a while.  
 
They fussed and wrangled on their own for a while and then approached him.  But I think he knew that they were looking for validation of a decision that they had already made, rather than actually asking for counsel.  He answered in a way that totally redirected the course of events.  His words called a halt to the impending condemnation and brutality. 
 
The crowd dissolved, and he asked the woman "What just happened here?"  His forgiveness didn't take her off the hook completely.  She had dangled  for a while too, right?  And then she was enfolded in His love and sent off to live new life, walking in a different direction.
 
Talk about a teachable moment!!!! 
 
When situations press in upon us we may be inclined to think in hard patterns of judgment and blame.  Who is at fault, we may ask. We may search law, and the teachings of scripture to gain insight and direction.  
 
Although there may be times when clarity seems to come quickly, I think there are more times when Jesus lets us dangle for a while.  He stays with us in the midst of our agitation, understanding our inclination towards wanting to judge or place blame. 
 
Then he says:  Look in the mirror.  What is your part in this? 
 
After we have dangled for a while in our struggle to judge and resolve the complexity of human behavior and misbehavior it is good to hear Christ's words of hope and mercy. 
 
We all have sinned and have no grounds to judge others. God's mercy enfolds us all.   And we all are told:  Go now, and sin no more! 
 
Peace be with you... your sins are forgiven!