A woman caught in the act of adultery was dragged before Jesus, as he was teaching, by the Pharisees and teachers of the Mosaical law. They reminded Jesus that the law required the stoning of “such women” and then they asked him, “What do you say?”
According to John 8:2-11, Jesus knelt down and started writing on the ground with his finger but, when pressed for an answer, he stood up and responded, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”
The conclusion by many people about his statement is that nobody has the right to criticize or pass judgment on the words or actions of others because everyone has their own faults or flaws.
Is that conclusion accurate?
An Attempt to Discredit Jesus in Judging Adulterous Woman
John indicates that the Pharisees intended to trap or discredit Jesus. Jesus was preaching a gospel of peace, love and forgiveness so, if he agreed that the woman should be stoned, he could be exposed as a hypocrite. On the other hand, if he ruled that she should not be punished, he could be accused of violating the Mosaic law.
Punishment of Adultery Under the Law
According to the Law of Moses, a man and woman caught committing adultery were both to be stoned to death (Leviticus 20:10, Deuteronomy 22:22) but the Jewish leaders brought only the woman. Where was the man? Additionally, the testimony of at least two witnesses was required for the death penalty to be carried out (Deuteronomy 17:6-7, 19:15) and the witnesses were to cast the first stones at the accused.
His response to the Pharisees shows that Jesus was not standing in the way of a lawful execution; however, they had violated the law themselves by bringing just the woman to him. They were not looking for justice; they were simply exploiting the woman’s situation in an attempt to humiliate Jesus. He exposed their hypocrisy instead.
Shamed at being caught in their own trap, none of them were willing to be the first to throw a stone and, quietly, they started leaving until only Jesus and the woman remained.
Go, and Sin No More
When Jesus asked, “Did no man condemn you?” she replied “No.” He responded by saying, “Neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin.” He was not expressing tolerance of her sin, clearly he acknowledged her guilt, but since all of her accusers had left, Jesus exercised the forgiveness he was preaching. He let her go but instructed her to set aside her sinful ways and live a righteous life.
Use Judgment to Correct, Not Condemn
The real question is not whether it is proper to judge or not but, rather, what is the motive behind it? Jesus told his disciples to correct one another as a way of helping them recover from their faults. “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him” (Luke 17:3).
Still, he did warn against superficial judgments, "stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment" (Luke 7:24), and unwise or hypocritical judgments as in Matthew 7:1-6, “Judge not, or you too will be judged” which he clarified by saying “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged.”
It is appropriate to correct someone when they are doing something wrong or destructive as long as the intent is to help them find their place as opposed to putting them into their place.
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