Written in the Sand
Here is a deeper look into a well-known story from the Bible for us to ponder and to contemplate. Our story is found in the Book of John, John 8:2-11 “And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, they say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with [his] finger wrote on the ground, [as though he heard them not]. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard [it], being convicted by [their own] conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, [even] unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”
Let us unpack this and get the “Politics” that are so thickly plastered on this event. Was this lady worthy of stoning? Yes, as she was caught in the very act. Who gets stoned? “Both parties,” or none, so this is the first warning of this being a “set up” and a trap, but also worse, to strike very close to Jesus Christ. Question; “Where did Jesus stay when he was in Jerusalem?” Well he always resided at Bethany in the home of Lazarus. Yes this is the very chap that was raised from the dead after 4 days in the grave. “Who lived in this house?” Well there were two sisters and a brother. “What are their names?” Well there is of course Lazarus, and Martha and Mary. “Did Jesus Love them?” Just read the story of the resurrection of Lazarus and you will see the depth of the relationship. So Jesus slept there, got up, had breakfast with them all, and went off to the Temple.
I often wonder as I read scripture, if Martha was the oldest, then Lazarus, and Mary was the younger sister. Yes, everything points towards this Mary as being “Mary of Magdalene” the fallen girl that had an Escort Agency and was commonly referred to as a Prostitute, and also the young lady unceremoniously dumped at Jesus’ feet minimally clad. We all know that Mary fell into sin, and Jesus pulled her out seven times, and I believe that this was the seventh and last time. Everything screams of being a “Set Up” as there is only the lady here, where is the man? I suspect that Mary was bribed, to come out of retirement for a huge fee, which of course, she never collected, as everything was interrupted, so that the Rulers could not only put Jesus in a trap that they felt was perfect, but they also used somebody extremely close to him, that he really cared for as a new believer, as the very bait as it were.
Jesus, they felt, was damned if he did and damned if he didn’t. Jesus was condemned if he supported this execution, and destroyed if he failed to act, stuck between “a rock and a hard place,” and cowering on the ground was a close friend and associate. The Rulers wanted a stoning, and they would get either to stone Mary or Jesus, either one will do, and if Mary gets stoned, then they have struck very close to Jesus, and then Jesus gets accused of ordering a killing and gets hauled off to the Romans and killed by them as a murderer, they had a “Win, Win,” situation they felt. Maybe they could get Martha and Lazarus as well as being complicant, as Lazarus was an embarrassment to their claims of superiority, because they were unable to duplicate this miracle, strike real close for greatest impact.
Jesus calmly sees through this charade and strikes even closer to them, revealing their secret sins and wayward lives, they all read what is written in the sand and slip away and disappear from the temple. Mary is forgiven once more, and sent away, but I really suspect that she left clothed with the outer robe of Jesus Christ, to cover her nakedness, clothed in “Christs Righteousness” as it were.
Now there is an interesting thing about “A Stoning” as it appears that nobody can cast a stone, until the husband who is accusing his unfaithful wife, casts the first stone. If he forgives and takes her home, then the stoning is all over and never happened. One wonders if the redeemed wife, actually gets to keep that “first stone” as a guarantee of her escape from death, and it’s an insurance policy as it were.
We have this concept given us as recorded in Revelation that develops from this concept, Revelation 2:17 “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth [it].” All the redeemed in Eternity get a “White Stone,” could this represent that though guilty of death, death has “Passed Over” and we have life, and we hold it close, for Jesus Christ, our Husband, has proved his forgiveness and our restoration, by having us this gift.
