July 16
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JESUS EXPOSES THE PHARISEES
But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” 6 They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. 7 But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. 10 Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”
– John 8:1-11
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Once again, the Pharisees and scribes prove their schemes to bring down Jesus in this account. They brought to Jesus a woman caught in adultery and they wanted to trick and test how Jesus would respond to the law of stoning caught in such sin. Did you ever wonder what Jesus was writing on the ground that stopped them from stoning the adulterous woman? One interesting theory is that Jesus wrote the name of each “stone-holding accuser” from the oldest to the youngest. They were so amazed at His supernatural knowledge that they dropped their ammunition, stunned and silenced. All accusers departed, from the oldest to the youngest. During those times, when someone was caught in adultery, both man and woman would be brought to the temple gates and accused. If there were witnesses to confirm the adultery, there will be a ceremony to bring judgment. However, in this instance they only brought the woman. This was a violation of the Oral Law of God. The priest was required to stoop down and write the law that was broken and the accused in the dust of the floor of the Temple which the Pharisees and Scribes didn’t do. Jesus did, so they were actually breaking the law.
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REFLECTION
• Why are the Pharisees relentless in proving that Jesus was an impostor?