#toc, .toc, .mw-warning { border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249); padding: 5px; font-size: 95%; }#toc h2, .toc h2 { display: inline; border: medium none; padding: 0pt; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold; }#toc #toctitle, .toc #toctitle, #toc .toctitle, .toc .toctitle { text-align: center; }#toc ul, .toc ul { list-style-type: none; list-style-image: none; margin-left: 0pt; padding-left: 0pt; text-align: left; }#toc ul ul, .toc ul ul { margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 2em; }#toc .toctoggle, .toc .toctoggle { font-size: 94%; }body { font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); widows: 2; font-style: normal; text-indent: 0in; text-decoration: none; font-size: 12pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; }table { }td { border-collapse: collapse; text-align: left; vertical-align: top; }p, h1, h2, h3, li { color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left; } The mixed murmuring and shouting of a gathering mob grows as she nervously is forced to take her place in the center of them. Little children, old ladies covered in head dress, the robes of men sweep the dust as their sandals eagerly meander about while they all seek stones as they whisper, afraid of defying the leaders by refusing to participate.
Youths are particularly eager to gather up stones to hurl, and not the lemon sized ones that might fill the European imagination, but huge, pound heavy, grapefruit size boulders intended to fracture bones and explode organs in an expulsion of internal hemorrhaging. They wave each other near and eyes flash back and forth studying the target who is held there by a couple of men who rock her from side to side as they direct others to dig the hole in which she will be buried, vertically, up to the elbows so that her arms and hands are helplessly pinned by her side. The shovel loads of dirt fly and wisps of it forms clouds in the air, before her lowered, teary eyes.
She knows that she is only minutes away from death - a horrible death. Such is a Muslim stoning.
The difference between that and what would take place the day the woman brought into the market place where Jesus was, interrupting his healing and teaching session, is that there would be no burying. The woman that history has come to memorialize only as the infamous Adulteress was manhandled through the crowd, bringing a mob of Pharisees and hangers on with them, pushing the crowd aside with angry frowns until she was swung to the ground where she is too ashamed to offer resistance or protest.
She knows she is guilty and she knows her fate because they have dragged her naked from the bed, right out from under the man with whom she performed the act - the man is is conspicuously absent in contradiction of the law about to be enforced. She huddles there, covering her face with the linen they have hastily thrown over her. She is so afraid that she can hardly cry, so only silent tears stream down her cheeks as she repeats in her mind the words, If only; If only....
It was a setup of course. She may have been like the fornicator in 1 Corinthians whom everyone knew had an affair with his fathers wife, but no one cared. She may have been like Mary the Magdalene whom was commonly known to be a sinner. But she was just a convenient tool for this occasion against Jesus, apart from which she would not have even been bothered this day. It may have been an ongoing affair that the Pharisees, yes, everyone knew of. To her misfortune she made the perfect excuse.
Soon the grapefruit size stones would come raining down, as young, strong men took pitcher stances, one leg raised in the air as they cocked their bodies back till the stone hand nearly touched the ground, before launching like living catapults to hurl their missiles faster than the eye could see, over a short distance of maybe only 10 feet, where they met frail bone, breasts, shoulder blades, kidneys, knees, shins, forehead, cheek bones, teeth, lips, skull.... The dark, purple pools that spread across the skin betrayed many broken blood vessels beneath, but her inability to hold up her arms to cover her face would evidence the bones that were now fractured beyond repair, as teeth fell from her bleeding mouth, and eye sockets blackened around the eyes that now flowed with tears. Soon she would be nothing more than a mass of still flesh under the resulting above ground grave of stones that covered her for witnesses to see and fear.
But Jesus foresaw this all in the heavenly realm, and proved to be the God, not of wrath and law, but of mercy, for mercy triumphs over judgment. It was the law He, Himself authored from the mountain to Moses, but here he was playing the advocate that he would be for us from the cross till he returns to rule the earth. His tender heart reaches out to her, as she lies there sobbing in the midst of the angry voices that goad him, her fate resting on his response. She flinches with despair when he agrees to the stoning, and it is the only time she lifts her head, to see the next action by her judges.
Just moments ago she was in the throes of passion, in a soft bed, and now the whole world is changed as she is facing the hard stones that would pummel her with raining death. How could this have happened? But its my own folly, she thinks to herself, and this rabbi, on whose words my fate rests is just crouching there silently scribbling on the ground. My only hope is in the outcome of those, those defiant words, Let him who is without sin, cast the first stone...
Time stands still as she waits for the sound of single reply. She squeezes her eyes shut as she prays and vows to God and confesses her wrong over and over. Visions of her poor mother, her proud father, her husband and children who will have to live with this shame all their lives, and whom she will never see and kiss again. She does not breathe. Time continues to stand still as she feels that her very heart will burst out of her throat if something does not happen soon. Then she hears a sandal scrape the dust. She gasps in terror. It is here - the moment of truth! Im not ready! Oh God, Oh God!
But she feels no presence nearing her. Her spatial senses tell her that all the presences are moving out of her radar. She cannot understand. She cant allow herself to get her hopes up. But soon she cannot deny that no other presence remains but one, still scratching in the hard dirt with that stick. What is next. It is not her right to move, so she waits and an eternity passes before the silence is broken by a word that nearly makes her leap from her skin. Her heart races and pounds.
Woman... She finally feels comfortable enough to lift her eyes as she clutches the hastily loaned cloth to her bosom. Yes, my Lord. She takes note that there is no hostility in his tone. All this time he was on her side; but why? Why would a rabbi in Israel care about, let alone defend a woman who had carelessly broken the law and destroyed two families? But he did.
Where are those, thine accusers? It was asked more for her sake, to cause her to look around and see for herself that the danger had passed, and she neednt worry anymore. It was Gods common way of saying Fear not Peace, thou shalt not die. She dared to throw back the cloth as she scanned the area and only in the distance a few disinterested passersby went about their business leading bleating sheep and goats, and struggling to keep a load balanced on a cart.
Does no one condemn thee? In total disbelief, and relief she replies, No one, Lord. He suddenly stops his writing and raises his head, and then brings his body up to his feet as her eyes intensely follow his every motion.
He has become her Master now, the holder of her life in his very hands, an unexpected, spontaneous defense attorney, and oh, how effective he was. She loves him. She literally worships this man whose face she is alone with now, and she thinks to herself, Why couldnt I have met someone like him first? To him I could be true to the end of time. His eyes gaze off in the distance before swinging back around to meet her red eyed gaze.
Then neither do I condemn thee. Oh, the icebergs break. The mountains crumble! The deep is broken up and the stars fall from their firm sockets in the sky as relief and love and feelings indescribable wash over her in a warm emotional flood. Her bowels move for him, and he gives her a hand to hoist her to her feet as he looks so deeply into her soul while issuing his rabbinic edict, Go - and sin no more. That is the end of the matter.
She merely nods her head as her eyes shut meekly in obedient submission. In her heart she is thinking, Anything... anything for you, Lord!, and she silently turns and shuffles hurriedly away, weeping as she goes and turning once, twice to look back at his loving countenance watching over her.
