The compassion of Christ is evident in the story of the woman taken in adultery. Even though the enemies of Jesus, the scribes and the Pharisees, attempted to use this opportunity to entrap Him, the Lord used this occasion to teach us valuable lessons. Consider:
- Jesus did not allow the scribes and the Pharisees to divert Him from His course. – John 8:2, 6, 8, 12
- Jesus did not give them a platform from which to reap havoc. – John 8:6, 8
- Jesus was wise in His silence. – John 8:6, 8
- Jesus emphasized both the moral and the judicial. – John 8:7, 11
- Jesus was compassionate toward this sinful woman.
- He did not seek out a witness who was willing to stone her to death. – Deut. 17:7
- He was not personally inclined to throw stones at her. – John 8:11
- He did not seek to overturn Roman law which forbad the stoning in such cases.
- He did not seek out priests to stone her to death.
- He gave her an opportunity to correct her life. – John 8:11
In contrast to the disposition of Jesus, the scribes and the Pharisees feigned allegiance to the law (John 8:5) while living contrary to it (8:7). Their motivation was evil, seeking to entrap Jesus (John 8:6). They were persistent to the point of self-condemnation (John 8:7-9) & they were dispelled by the wisdom of Christ (John 8:7-9). Question: As we deal with sinners about us, who are we most like: the arrogant Pharisees who used sin as a means to further their own agenda, or, are we like Jesus, who responded to sin with a compassionate spirit?
