Christ on Trial

A Lenten Service Series

March 2, 2008 Fourth Week of Lent

"Witness: An Adulterous Woman"

Prosecutor: Here is the allegation against Christ that we will be considering tonight: He has taken upon Himself the authority to judge people and forgive sins--a privilege reserved for God alone. Even this court can only judge the merits of the case and either vote to condemn or acquit. A minister may speak in the name of God. Or you as individuals may forgive those who have wronged you. But God alone can pronounce the final judgment. So focus is on what Christ did. Recognizing that what this woman did is in the past and that she was not formally convicted of any crime--in fact, she is not even on trial here--we will allow her to keep her anonymity and just call her "woman" or "madam." Now, madam, as we understand your story, you were caught in the very act of adultery and dragged before Jesus for judgment. Is that correct?

Woman: I was accused and there were witnesses who claimed they'd seen me. And, yes, they dragged me before this man whom they called "Rabbi." I only learned later who He was. It was a very strange, and of course, frightening experience.

Prosecutor: Oh? We can understand frightening. You were about to lose your life, after all. But what do you mean by strange?

Woman: Well, normally, a woman so accused (Levitic law didn't concern itself with married men being involved with a woman outside marriage)--anyway, a woman so accused was taken before the Sanhedrin for judgment. There, if two witnesses claimed to have seen you in the act, you were condemned to death. Occasionally, it was a trumped-up charge and the woman had no power to defend herself. We women were, after all, little more than possessions. First, we were the property of our fathers and then the property of whomever our fathers chose to be our husbands. Often we were simply part of a business deal. Rarely were our feelings considered, nor were we given a say in whom we would marry. Once married, we were totally at the mercy of our husbands. Even if horribly abused, we could not seek protection, leave, or seek divorce.

Prosecutor: Yes, we understand. Similar inequality continued to exist until recent times and still does in some countries. But you were going to explain why being taken to Jesus was strange.

Woman: Yes, well, as I said, I thought I was being taken before the court of religious leaders, the Sanhedrin. But instead of taking me inside, they stopped in the courtyard. They stood me before a rabbi--just one, single rabbi. This was very strange. He was surrounded by a crowd of people who had been listening to Him. He must have been a popular teacher to have attracted such a crowd. At first, I thought the teachers of law and the Pharisees had just found another way to humiliate me. They were so self-righteous--so zealous in imposing the law on everyone. Was this just an opportunity for them--dragging an accused person before the common people ... showing what could happen to them if they erred. I'd seen it before. Often bystanders would join in. It's part of human nature, I guess--to enjoy seeing someone else condemned and punished. I guess it makes us feel a bit better about ourselves. After all, "we'd never do such a terrible thing." But the Pharisees didn't seem interested in the crowd this time. They were completely focused on this rabbi. It was as though I had become a test case, almost incidental to the issue. They wanted to put Him on trial.

Prosecutor: Well, I'm sure if He was as great a teacher as you say, they simply wanted to verify their legal position before the proceeding.

Woman: No, no, you don't understand. That wasn't their attitude at all. There was a wickedness about them. They were trying to trip this teacher up. Besides, the Pharisee didn't need to consult some poor itinerant teacher. They know the law, every last subtle detail of it. And it was obvious too. They even stated what punishment was prescribed. The case was already settled in their minds. No, they were only interested in whether the rabbi would contradict Moses or the prophet who had written out God's commands.

Prosecutor: And what was Jesus' answer? Did He agree with the Pharisees, or did He find some obscure argument to defend you?

Woman: That was strange too. He didn't answer right away. He bent down and started writing with His finger in the dust. I thought at first He was just buying time. But, when they kept at Him about it, He astounded us all. He looked them right in their faces and said "If any of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Then he bent down and started writing in the dirt again. At first I was shaking in terror. Knowing how righteous those Pharisees are, I was sure the stones were going to start flying. But they didn't. One by one, those men bowed their heads and walked away--first the older ones and then the younger. The younger ones can have more of a taste for action. But without the older men for support, they gave up. Then the strangest thing of all occurred: The rabbi straightened up and looked directly at me. I had been looking down. I was so ashamed. I kept looking at the ground, wishing it would swallow me up, and thinking that soon, after they stoned me, it would. But as I stood there in the silence, I could feel His eyes on me. Slowly, I looked up. He was looking right at me. He was looking into me with a look of love. I had felt dirty inside and out, but somehow that look made me feel like I'd been made clean. He asked what had happened to my accusers. Hadn't anyone stayed to condemn me? I could hardly speak. All I could say was, "No one, sir." At that He said, "Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin." You know, I can't say why, but I got the feeling that, based on what He said to the Pharisees, Jesus was the only one who could have condemned me. Yet He didn't. I can tell you, my life was changed since that day--not because I came so close to death either. What Jesus did that day has made me a totally new person.

Prosecutor: Just one question, madam. People throughout the ages have wondered what Jesus wrote in the dirt. You've added nothing to the evidence we need, so you can at least solve this mystery for us.

Woman: I'm truly sorry. I would if I could, but my eyes were so blurred with my tears of shame that I could see nothing when He was writing. There is this though: what was happening was almost like when the finger of God wrote, "Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin" on the wall of King Belshazzar's room in the Book of Daniel. Belshazzar thought he was better than God. God sent that hand to write words of condemnation. Tekel means "you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting." Whatever Jesus did or said, it most certainly had an effect on those who felt they had a right to condemn me. Yet, the one who did have the right chose not to condemn me. That's what really mattered.

Prosecutor: I guess you're right. You are dismissed. Hmm, Tekel, "you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting." That might be worth remembering whenever we are tempted to claim the right to judge others.

By Elsa L. Clark with additional material by Peter Mead, Arden Mead and Mark Zimmermann. Art by Sally Beck. © 2007 by Creative Communications for the Parish, 1564 Fencorp Dr. , Fenton , MO 63026 . 1-800-325-9414. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA . www.creativecommunications.com.