Jesus Challenges

If Jesus had not spoken on behalf of the women, she would have suffered this fate. She would have been drugged, possibly naked, through the streets to scare people of her punishment. The hole would already be dug waiting for her. The men would bind her hands and feet and lower her body into the hole and fill it up with dirt. The taunting would start urging her to try and break free of her bonds to run, the only chance of survival. The woman would writhe and try with tears streaming down her face. The pile of stones would cast a shadow across her face, dusty with the thrown dirt. Her husband, father or brother (the one responsible for her) would have the honor of the first throw. As the hard cold rock sits in his hands the women would have to
admit guilt and state the punishment was atonement for her sins. As the rocks would crash against her face and head, her children would be urged to throw in the name of God. For 15 to 20 minutes the game would have begun for the community each taking a turn to throw a stone. The rocks would be thrown until there was nothing but a bloody stump remaining.

What is significant about these verses is the absence of the man. Under the law it stated that death was for both guilty parties – the man and the women as they are each to blame equally under consent; The Pharisees and scribes did not necessarily want to see the Woman stoned, they wanted to entrap Jesus. His response to their taunts was most significant of all. Instead of giving the group a direct answer as they called out to him, he turned to those who had drug the woman before him and asked “ Who ever is free from sin, throw the first stone” (John 8:1-11). By declaring this statement, Jesus took all momentum off him and therefore put it back to the accusers. By law, bound by oath, the men had every right to cast the stone but Jesus silenced their hypocritical allegations. Although only John has this story within his Gospel, many early manuscripts omitted John 7:53-8:11 claiming the story would make sense with full omission. (Bartha, 2013) Many believe it interrupted his train of thought, like a new patch of cloth within his pattern. Scholars believe it was an orally transferred story that was no other apostle felt to include within their gospels.

Told through four stages these verses stand out.
(Hughes, 2013) The first stage unfolds the story. Jesus had entered the temple on presumably the eighth day, the day of rest, to teach. The second stage, describes the challenges presented before Jesus by the leaders. Assumingly the women had committed the adultery the evening before which meant that she would have been withheld all evening. Her treatment was demeaning and callous. The male chauvinism comes through strongly when they referred to her as “such women”, especially since her fear was most likely heightened by the public humiliation and pressure of stoning. As stated before the man should have also been present for condemnation. The third stage is the most noteworthy, Jesus’ reaction to the tests. Under Shabbat law writing anything on Sabbath was a sin but writing in the dust was allowed, showing that Jesus knew the law and the interpretations of it. (No one actually knows what he wrote though many theories have been formed). (Tregelles, 1856) Lastly his calling of those without sin to cast the first stone relieves him of all charges if stoning does occur and it also ensures that the stoning would not commence since none of the members of the crowd would want to take responsibility for the young women’s death and therefore would in turn be requited as a murder. Jesus had thus taught the crowd to reflect on their own sins before
God.

The decree of God is immutable yet mutable.
Although in a biblical sense the 21st century law in the West does not allocate stoning as a punishment in 20% of the world stoning is still revered as a plausible punishment. As of 2015, 15 countries still allow stoning according the UN who is working to abolish the act. (UN, 2015) Used to conger fear and holiness the world views punishment now against Capital punishment unless another life is taken. However, not all views are that. The Middle East who are under Sharia law and ISIS view stoning as a means to punish, among other fatal punishments for any reason, In Biblical sense the stoning was to purify and teach a lesson, where now it is used for any deed against the oligarchy. To further advance as a whole society we have to understand history and how not to repeat it. With the power of social media in todays world, a simple stoning would cause an outrage across the masses. ISIS is creating a powerful terror through out the world due to its social media and propaganda through out the internet. Given the chance, they want to create a full Muslim ruled world, where stoning would be as part of our lives as it was in the biblical days. Our future would restore us back to the day of
history.

Stoning, although historic, is a barbaric and old practice that needs to be dissolved. Though decreed by God to Moses to stone all those against the commandments, through the centuries, as rights, technological advancements and studies on human behavior has evolved, the old practices should remain in the past. A simple stone can create immeasurable damage in a mudslide and could be the line between life and death. A cowardly measure to a quick mean, stoning is a form of anonymity of execution. (Solson, 1998) Many cases have been made famous in history due to the unlawful treatment of women, men, children and the innocent. To go further in the world we have to stop stoning, a death by nature but executed by man.