The Other Three Fingers

The woman was dragged before Jesus by the Religious leaders of the day. They told Him that she had been caught in the act of adultery.  This incident raises many questions. The most obvious one would be about her partner in this crime.  Where was he?  Was he among her accusers?

Jesus addresses the reality regarding the pointing fingers of her accusers by granting permission to stone her if they were without sin.  Jesus bends down and begins to write something in the sand.  Did He write various sins they committed?  We can only guess.  We only know that beginning with the eldest man present, they all left. The only one that remained with the woman was the One without sin who could have stoned her.  Jesus urges the woman to sin no more (John 8:1-11).

This incident was not about the woman as much as it was about the sinful attitudes of the Religious leaders. They didn't actually care about the sin this woman committed.  It was another one of their attempts to set Jesus up for a fall.  Their pride and distrust of Jesus' methods for dealing with sinful people didn't appeal to them.

We learn from Jesus' response that pointing fingers at the sins of others needs a reality check.  The remaining three  fingers point toward the heart of the accuser.  When we point our fingers at the sins and failings of others may we glance down at our hand and recognize the nudging of the three pointing back at us to examine the condition of our own heart.

Casting Crowns sings the song, Jesus, Friend of Sinners, with a message for believers in this day and age to understand.  Jesus wants us to fully comprehend  mercy, grace, and forgiveness so that we might extend it toward others.