Day 18 – Can anyone condemn you?

John 7:53 – 8:11

Everyone was going home, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

At dawn, he went back into the temple, and all the people came to him. He sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery. They stood her in the middle, and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. What then do you say about her?” They said this to test him, so that they might have grounds to accuse him.

But Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with his finger. When they kept on asking him, he looked up and said to them, “The one who is perfectly blameless among you, let them throw the first stone at her.” Again, he stooped down and carried on writing on the ground.

One by one, starting with the elders, the people who heard this went away, everyone, from first to last. Jesus was left alone with the woman where she was, in the middle. Jesus looked up to her and said, “Woman, where are your accusers? Did no one condemn you?”

She said, “No one, Lord.”

Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on, no more sinning.”

For reflection

How has following Jesus freed you, changed you, or changed some of the rules in your life?