This is one of the most well-known and profound stories of Jesus: the account of the woman caught in adultery, brought before Him by the scribes and Pharisees in an attempt to test His wisdom and authority. Here I wanted to focus on the different response between the people who came to and the group of the scribes and the Pharisees. The first group came to listen and be taught by Jesus. The second group came to find a ground for accusing Jesus. Their contrasting responses reflect the choices we all make when we encounter Jesus.
In the opening of John 8, Jesus returns to the temple again after a series of dialogues with a hostile crowd in chapter 7. The scene immediately draws our attention to see the contrast between the people who came to Jesus early in the morning and the group of the scribes and the Pharisees.
Text Summary
Early in the morning, Jesus sat down and began to teach many people in the temple. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery in front of Jesus, asking Him what needs to be done to the woman, invoking the law of Moses. Instead of responding directly to their accusations, Jesus stooped down and began writing on the ground. He then said, ‘Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her’ After Jesus stooped down to write the second time on the ground, people began to leave one by one. After no one left, Jesus told her that He did not condemn her and to not sin anymore.
The First Group: Eager to Learn
The first group is described as “all the people” (John 8:2). They gathered early in the morning, drawn to Jesus’ presence and teaching. Given that this is early morning, we have a reasonable basis to think that these people made a deliberate choice to seek Him out this time of the day with a humble, teachable heart. By sitting down to teach them, Jesus honored and accepted their desire to listen. This simple detail of sitting down points out Jesus’ character of intimacy, accessibility and humility.
The Second Group: Eager to Accuse
But then, an unwelcome interruption – a striking difference from the eager group. The scribes and the Pharisees, dragging a woman caught in adultery, intrude on the scene. In contrast to the people who came early with a teachable mind to listen to Jesus’s teaching, they came with an evil intent to establish ground to accuse Jesus (John 8:6). Their actions, likely fueled by jealousy (Mark 15:10), revealed their inability to inspire people with the same grace, truth, and authority that Jesus embodied.
The Choice
What a sharp difference we see between these two groups! The first group of people came early and Jesus began to teach them. They made a choice to come early in the morning to listen. The second group that comprised the scribe and the Pharisees came not to listen, but to test and establish a ground for accusing Jesus.
Even in these opening few verses in chapter 8, we can draw practical, immediate lessons: the same stimulus can evoke vastly different responses in people. Jesus exposed Himself to a wide variety of groups, especially after the start of His ministry. He taught in the temple, engaged with people across socioeconomic boundaries, preached on mountains, performed miracles like healing the blind, and debated with hostile Jews, including religious authorities. To all that Jesus taught and demonstrated, some responded attentively, like those who came early to the temple to hear Him teach while He sat down. Others, however—like the scribes and Pharisees—chose to test Him and seek grounds for accusation.
The Choice Before Us: A Teachable Heart or a Hardened Heart?
This passage invites us to reflect on the choices we make when we encounter Jesus. Do we approach Jesus with a teachable heart, seeking to learn and grow? Or, do we approach Jesus with a hardened heart, dismissing His teachings and allowing our hearts to be captivated by jealousy? The difference can be striking, and that choice remains within our discretionary decision. May we guard our hearts and cultivate a teachable spirit as we approach the presence of Christ, eager to learn and grow in faith
More to continue on the next blog.
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