Tradition!?

“Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” John 8:11 [ESV]

Jesus made this statement to a woman the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him saying she was caught in adultery. Many points of view exist in this passage – Jesus’, the woman’s, the scribes' and Pharisees', the man who was with the woman, and the people who are watch this story unfold. Today let’s consider the latter group of people because that is who we are, the people who watch the episode unfold.

As the watchers, we assume the scribes and Pharisees caught this woman in adultery. Of course, no blame could be cast on them because, let’s get real, they are the leaders of the faith. Still, how did they know the woman was a prostitute? Also, what was their intent – to shame and condemn the woman publicly, to show their “righteousness,” or to trap Jesus with His answer?

As watchers, we see a woman, one without a protector or provider. This may mean she had no way to make a living. Still, the Jewish leaders did not want to recognize that and help her. They considered her of a low social status since she was a woman without a husband or father. We can assume that is what she was since she was alone and without an obvious protector or provider.

As watchers, we see the absence of the man who was part of this adulterous relationship. Why is that? Did he have stature in the community and so the Jewish leaders let him “slip away” without condemnation? Was he one of the Jewish leaders and so they didn’t want one of their own condemned because then people might paint them with the same brush? “That could never be!” Right? We watchers don’t know the whole story, but we trust these leaders and want to believe them.

As watchers, we intently watch Jesus’ reactions and listen waiting for His every word. We’ve listened to Him teach about God and His love for every person. We’ve heard Him teach all the Laws can be summed up into two commandments – “Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39) Now we watchers wait with breath held to listen to what Jesus will say to these religious leaders about the women. Will Jesus condemn the woman and demand the people stone her for her sin? Will He pat the leaders on the back? Will Jesus turn to the crowd and tell us another parable? What will we learn today?

As people living in Jerusalem, we know what our religious leaders and parents taught us. We understand adultery is a sin against God according to God’s Law in the Old Testament. In God’s Law, a person caught in adultery must be stoned, yet delineations exist in that law. Was the woman a girl who was raped? Was she one who went willingly to lie with the man? Did her father chose a fiancé for her already? Depending on the answers to these questions, God’s law gave the required judgment.

What we should see as watchers of this accusation and Jesus’ reaction is the fact that Jesus paused. He took time to write in the dirt. Jesus did not have a knee jerk reaction of judging and condemning the woman as the religious leaders wanted. He paused, considered the situation and the Father’s love for the woman, the man, the religious leaders, the watchers, and the world. Jesus’ reaction was contrary to the Jewish leaders' reactions. He first considered the people. He waited for time to pass so possibly the tensions and emotions would calm. Jesus allowed the people to consider for themselves what is right according to God, then He acted.

We don’t know what Jesus wrote with His finger in the dirt. Still, as the watchers, we see the religious leaders did not calm down. They determinedly tried to trap Jesus. These leaders didn’t care about the woman; she was a pawn in their game. Their goal was to get Jesus. When these religious leaders continued to question Jesus, He stood up and said, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” (vs. 7) Next, silence weighed heavy with the exception of Jesus scratching the dirt with His finger again.

Jesus gave everyone a chance to ponder his or her own heart. In the moment of silence before Jesus’ proclamation, He wanted them to think on their own sin first and their inability to be the righteous judge of another person. When that time did not produce the required result, Jesus led them, as He leads us watchers with this passage, with a more direct approach. “Are you a sinner,” He asked. “Then why are you condemning this woman? You are not righteous and so cannot judge and condemn anyone.” Ouch!

Let’s understand this better. Jewish tradition required the religious leaders to be the police, judge, jury, and enforcer of judgment. Their tradition said to trust the religious leaders, learn from them, obey them, or suffer the consequences. The scribes and Pharisees tried to prove to the people Jesus was a heretic, so they would not lose their own followers and their power in the community. With Jesus’ answer to these religious leaders, He did not condemn them Himself. He allowed their consciences to convict them. These scribes and Pharisees walked away. Every person except Jesus and the woman involved in this confrontation walked away, too – the Jewish leaders, the watchers, and the man who was with the woman in adultery. Jesus noted their absence in verse ten. “Jesus stood up and said to her, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?'”

What is the “take away” from this episode in Jesus’ life? The Pharisees, scribes, and other people determinedly followed tradition. When confronted with God or His Laws, they chose to follow the letter of the Law and not the intent. If they had followed the intent of the Law as Jesus taught them, then they would have realized their own sinfulness and seen the woman and man with love through God’s eyes. The people’s traditions blinded them to obedience to God. If the woman and man were actually in an adulterous relationship, then God would be the Judge. If the religious leaders determinedly obeyed God’s intent or not, God would be the judge. If the watchers were condemning the woman in their hearts or not, God would be the judge. Jesus understood God did not send Him to earth to judge people. He came to die on the cross to save people from their sins.

We must decide if we will follow tradition or follow God.

Will we obey God or what fallible people teach us?

Can you hear Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof singing about tradition? Towards what does your heart lean – tradition or obedience to God?

Lord God, I haven’t questioned why I do the things the way I do them. It was always done that way. But, Lord, now I am wondering about these things. Am I being obedient to You or taking the easy and possibly the coward’s way out? Lord, teach me to hear Your voice when tradition crowds my thoughts. Make me bold and courageous to stand up in obedience to You when the people around me say, “This is the way it should be done and the way we have always done it.” Lord, forgive me my casual acceptance of the ways of people. Forgive me for accepting the easy way. Help me not to walk away from my own sin, but to bring it to You in repentance. Help me hear and obey You. Amen.