Skip to main content

what do You say?

John 8:4&5
"4 They say unto Him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?"

We should never doubt Jesus. Sometimes, however, it is good to doubt people. Jesus has shown up at the Temple to offer some lessons. The scribes and Pharisees conspired to teach Jesus a lesson. They have brought forward a woman caught in the act of adultery. Conspicuously absent is her "partner in crime." It takes two to tango. Just what are the scribes and Pharisees up to?

Scholars argue about the punishment here of stoning being the correct "law." Some say strangulation would be the correct punishment. I think they might be missing the point. The scribes and Pharisees are trying to trap Jesus. They think they have presented Him with a loose-loose opportunity. If He answers that she should be stoned, many people would be furious with Him. The immorality of Rome had spread through the provinces of the empire, even to Israel. Severe punishment would undermine popular support, AND a pronouncement of capital punishment would put Him on a collision course with the Roman Empire. On the other hand, if Jesus offered a lax solution, not holding the adulterer accountable, they would charge Him with breaking the Law! They would take Him to the Sanhedrin, saying He is a false Messiah, because He is not upholding the Law.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Elisha’s example

1 Kings 19:19-21 "19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. 20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee? 21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him." In Luke 9:54, after James and John sought to call down fire on a Samaritan village that rejected Jesus, they referenced Elijah, saying, “even as Elias did?” Jesus then taught three lessons about rejection: 1- Discipleship demands sacrifice, embracing hardship and forgoing earthly security. 2- Following Jesus requires immediate, un...
Post a Comment
Read more

I will make you

Matthew 4:19&20 "19 And He saith unto them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed Him." In our "Follow Me" series, we study Jesus calling His disciples in the Gospel of Matthew. By the Sea of Galilee, a thriving fishing hub, Jesus saw Simon and Andrew casting nets as humble fishermen. His disciples were ordinary workers, not wealthy or educated elites. Jesus approached them and said, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Remarkably, they immediately left their jobs to follow Him. This brief exchange conveys a profound truth: Jesus says, "I will make you." Only God can transform us to accomplish His purpose. We should often pray, "Help me, God," seeking Jesus' guidance to follow His plan for our lives.
Post a Comment
Read more

God’s patience

2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." God did not immediately punish King Solomon when he allowed his foreign wives to build altars for false gods. Despite multiple compromises, God remained patient. Over time, Solomon’s endorsement of idolatry defied God’s covenant, leading to divine judgment, including the loss of the kingdom for his son. Some mistake God’s patience for indifference or inaction, but He follows His plan in His timing. If our nation, culture, church, or we ourselves stray like Solomon, we can repent and return to God’s path. And, should do so sooner than later! Amen!
Post a Comment
Read more