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Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery

'Suppose one is guilty of adultery, can anything be done about it?

Turn to the eighth chapter of St John's Gospel and read there how a guilty one was brought before Jesus. The crowd had no solution but to stone her. They asked Jesus opinion. His solution to any wrong never was stoning. He hated the sin but he never ceased to love the sinner.

When I was a little boy living in Tate Georgia I once,was deeply impressed with a story I heard Mr Sam Tate tell. There was a habitual drunkard in the community and one morning he said "Sam, the boys rocked me last night."

"Maybe they were trying to make a better man out of you", replied Mr, Tate.

"Well," the poor fellow said,

"I have never heard of Jesus throwing rocks at a man to make him better."

In the midst of a crowd with the guilty woman before him, Jesus said nothing. Instead He stooped down and began writing on the ground. I wonder what He wrote. After awhile, He spoke softly, yet so all could hear.

"He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone."

Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Perhaps He knew that crowd of self righteous people,who are always ready to push somebody further down. My guess is that He wrote such words as "liar", "thief", "hypocrite".

One by one, the men who were so ready to condemn dropped their rocks and shame-facedly slipped away.

Now comes one of the grandest scenes in the entire bible, the matchless Savior is alone with the woman. Not one harsh word harsh comes from His lips. Not even a look of rebuke. Instead, gently and tenderly He says,

"Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more."

In my mind I see her as she stands. She rises to her full height, her chin goes up and her shoulders back as the burden of her soul is lifted. She is caught up in the power of new self respect and another chance.

Tradition has it that it was she who stood by Mary, the virgin mother, at the foot of the cross that day. Also, that it was she who first received the message of His resurrection and was given the blessed privilege of telling others. To announce His birth, God sent angels from Heaven. That privilege was not given to mortal man. But to tell of His living again, this fallen one was selected.

Whatever my sin, Christ and Christ alone can take away the guilt and let me live again.'

- C. L. Allen,
God's Psychiatry