Mercy in the Dirt

In John, Chapter 8 , we find the story of Jesus and the adultress.  Basically, while Jesus is teaching in front of a group of people, a bunch of religious leaders try to trap him.  A woman has been caught in adultery, and according to Jewish law, should be stoned to death.  Jesus, as is his usual style, answers in a way that they didn't anticipate, showing how the law is fulfilled in love.

There are a few salient and well-known points that I will first touch upon before making mine, so please bear with me.

First, where's the dude?  The religious leaders tell Jesus "Moses commanded us to stone 'such women'".  Leviticus 20:10 clearly states both the adulterer and the adultress should be stoned, and if the woman was caught in the act, well, where is the dude??

The second point occurs after Jesus tells the adultress that no one condemns her.  Many people use this story to decry others' judgment of them or a point of view they don't want judged, but they stop the story after Jesus says "no one accuses you".  This story doesn't end with the dismissal of those trying to pass judgment.  It's about someone who was sinning, deserved death, and found life at the hands of Jesus, with instructions to stop sinning.

The big mystery is about Jesus.  What was he writing in the dirt?  I heard it mentioned that he might be jotting down the names of all the religious leaders' mistresses.  I would like to think he was writing something similar, perhaps some secret sins that there was no way anyone would know about.  John says they went away one at a time, starting with the oldest.  They didn't all just say ok, and go away immediately.  These were religious leaders, pompous and arrogant.  Who is this Jesus to tell us how to behave?  But as Jesus exposed their hypocrisy, they had two choices:  walk away, or stand with the adultress, ready to die in their sin.

They chose to walk away.  All of them.  How sad.  Jesus, the only one who was worthy to stone her to death,  shows love and mercy to the woman.  He also shows a great deal of love and mercy to those who accused the woman, too.  He could have proclaimed their sin to the crowd, and had them stoned, but he showed compassion to them as well, and allowed them to walk away.

Too often, I choose to walk away.  I have the source of mercy in front of me, but I let my shame and guilt get the best of me, and I walk away.  Or, perhaps, I walk away because I want to avoid the "go and sin no more" aspect of his teaching.  Fine, I won't judge her secret sin, just don't judge mine.  That's not really how grace works.  My best option is to desire his forgiveness, and to fall at his feet.  My sin is written there in the dirt.  How easy is it for Jesus to forgive sin?  As easy as running his hand through the dirt and erasing what he had written.  There were once words written in the dirt, but now there is nothing.  There was once sin in me, and now there is none!  Sometimes, very difficult for us to comprehend.  To accept.  But his forgiveness is there for the asking.  This time, don't walk away!