Jesus gazed at the horizon and smiled. Nature’s response held promise—an ideal day for elucidating a valuable lesson. By the time he reached the Mount of Olives, people had already gathered to listen to him. Even as Jesus started speaking, he noticed a group of men—along with a captive woman—approach him.
‘This woman has committed adultery,’ the leader among the men said in a menacing tone. ‘Would you agree she ought to be stoned as commanded by the law?’
Jesus’s followers knew it was a trick question, an attempt to corner him. Will the man teaching love and compassion tell them to follow the established rules, or will he ask them to free her? In the latter case, the men perhaps planned to engage Jesus in an argument.
Jesus looked at the woman. She clearly looked ill-treated. Jesus knew people assumed the role of judge at the drop of a hat. An awkward hush descended upon the place. People waited with bated breath—those who opposed him as well as his followers.
However, much to everyone’s surprise, Jesus didn’t utter a word, lost as he seemed in contemplative silence. Then he bent down and wrote something on the ground. The crowd huddled over to read what he had written. Some smiled, and a few frowned, at what they read. Those who couldn’t come near demanded that Jesus read it out to them. Jesus raised his head to address them as he proclaimed, ‘He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.’
A few among the angry mob—who were confident of outwitting Jesus—exchanged glances. None of them could muster the courage to pick up a stone. How could they confidently admit that they had not sinned?
So, does it mean a faultless person can punish? No. While a sinner
cannot throw a stone, a person with impeccable integrity will not. Jesus knew that anyone who had reached the flawless state wouldn’t be judgemental, let alone throw a stone.
Also be cognisant of the fact that the stones thrown aren’t only those picked from the ground, but come in the form of abuses hurled and ill-feelings kept in our minds. Let’s concede that most of us are still far from a faultless state and ever eager to hurl stones—physical, verbal or mental—at the slightest pretext. It’s time we stopped.