Let him who is without sin, be the first to throw a stone at her
It’s always easier to notice the faults in others than to face our own. There’s a lighthearted meme that says, ‘I never knew I had so many faults until I got married and my wife pointed them out to me!’ :)
The ancient wisdom ‘Know thyself,’ inscribed at the Temple of Apollo and often linked to Socrates, reminds us that self-awareness is the beginning of true wisdom. Plato took it even further, saying, ‘The unexamined life is not worth living.’
Yet, despite these timeless insights, most of us fall into the habit of judging others before examining ourselves. Jesus put it pointedly: ‘First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye’ (Luke 6:42).
This call to self-reflection is more than a moral lesson—it’s a pathway to healing and growth. When we turn inward with honesty and humility, we not only see ourselves more clearly, but we also begin to look at others with greater compassion.
Those gathered to stone the woman caught in adultery, in this week’s Gospel John 8: 1-11 had certainly not thought about compassion. They were there to trap Jesus, not caring that in the process a poor woman would be stoned to death. Her life was collateral damage in their scheme, her dignity ignored, her soul forgotten.
They saw only her sin, not her humanity. But Jesus, full of mercy and divine insight, shifted the focus—not to her guilt, but to their own hearts. ‘Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone,’ he said. In that moment, he exposed their hypocrisy and invited them—and us—to a deeper place: where truth and compassion meet, and where judgment gives way to grace.
This week’s Gospel reflection caused quite a stir and debate at our weekly prayer meeting—some felt strongly that there must be laws and clear consequences for breaking them, pointing to the importance of order and accountability in society. Others, however, were deeply moved by Jesus’ compassionate response, recognizing that mercy does not erase justice, but rather fulfills it in a higher way.
In truth, Jesus does not dismiss the sin, but he does not condemn her. In John 3:17, Jesus says, ‘God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.’ Probably this Gospel shines a light on the meaning of salvation - like the woman - we all deserve to be condemned - but instead God is compassionate and merciful towards us.
As we continue to reflect on the motto Pilgrims of Hope, I have redesigned my website to give it a Pilgrimage theme - I invite you to have a look, at the following link, and if you find one of the programs interesting, please join. Website LINK
I love the new website Deacon!
This parable of the adulterous woman, like the one last week for the prodigal son, is purely divine .
Jesus teaches us that even in despair, when we are trapped, when we feel as if we’re caught between a rock and a hard place, God makes away .
When Jesus kneeled down and started writing on the ground, which may not be writing, it may have been more like praying for the Father to provide an answer and then suddenly he rose and spoke these words forever etched in our history inviting the one who has never sinned to throw the first stone, which shifted the whole dynamic of the situation around.
It’s a reminder that there is often a third way that we don’t see in our dualistic view of the world. Prayer allows us to open up our consciousness to a different way of going about things.