No Condemnation

Romans 8:1 says that "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." I've been thinking about this scripture in relation to the story of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery. And how maybe we need to rethink our thoughts on this verse. 


At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. ¹⁰ Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (John 8:2-11)

This is obviously a great story of God's grace, love, and forgiveness, which in and of itself it beautiful. But it's such a multifaceted passage of scripture. I think for the first time ever I realized that this exchange happens in a large group setting and not just between Jesus and a small group of Pharisees. This is everyone in the temple who came to hear Jesus teach that is turned away from stoning this woman. 

But that's not even the first thing that stands out to me. What really stands out is that the Pharisees just brought the woman to Jesus. The guy involved in this case of adultery... He's sitting naked in a bed somewhere, feeling pretty awkward I imagine. But the Pharisees don't bother with him. They bring the woman. 

This is another story of Jesus valuing all life and changing and redeeming the perspective and value of women. From the woman at the well, to the woman with the issue of blood, to this woman caught in the act of adultery, Jesus loved and cared for them all. He didn't view women as the lesser. While they're beautiful stories of God's grace and healing to us now, I feel like we miss the cultural implications these stories had to those who witnessed and heard them back then. It's the shift Paul talks about when he says there is no longer Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28). 

I also wonder what was going through this woman's mind post encounter with Jesus. Jesus says go and leave your life of sin. Did she? An encounter with Jesus will change your life. And one where your life is spared and redeem, that for sure will change your life? But how was she changed? Was she able to find fidelity post her encounter with Jesus? Did she slip back in to old habits eventually? She did ever feel condemned after her encounter where Jesus said he didn't condemn her? Obviously she was convicted in that moment. How can one not be? But did the idea that there was no condemnation for her sin, from the Son of God, change her perspective on life?

While the Pharisees thought they were going to trap Jesus and put this woman to death, actually (potentially) saved and changed her life. She had an encounter with Jesus where her sin was forgiven and she found that there is no condemnation with Christ. But the guy who she was sleeping with... He wasn't given the chance to find forgiveness. This was a very public encounter with Jesus. People knew who this man was. How long did he have to walk around with the shame and guilt and condemnation? Or how long was he blind to his own short-comings?

When he encounter Christ, conviction should lead to repentance, to leaving our life of sin. Not guilt, shame, and condemnation.

I wonder if Paul's claim that there is no condemnation is as much a reminder to himself as it was to the Roman church. Was Paul fighting with feelings of condemnation over his persecution of the church? But Paul says because I have encountered God, there is no condemnation because Christ has sets us free from sin and death (Romans 8:2).