Door Number 3

...they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him.

I just love how religious people couldn't ever back Jesus into a corner. They wanted to get him to SAY something to which an accusation of law-breaking would stick. It's this way or it's not. You've got these 2 choices. These are the only 2 ways to look at this situation. But - and I love this about Jesus - He saw way beyond the actions and entrapment to the heart of the people...to the very root.

This gives me comfort (and yet, at times, condemns me). God sees my motives. He sees all the hidden things...in me and my accusers. What intrigues me about this situation is that when Jesus...

stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear

...He was opening up another option that they had not thought about. In their effort to appear justified and in the right, they saw only what they wanted to to see. He saw it all. In fact, He saw what they didn't want him to see.

“He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience,went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last.

I don't know what He wrote, but His words were enough to prick their conscience to the fact that they were not guiltless. This woman was in the wrong. She had violated the law. But her accusers tried to manipulate the scriptures to their advantage. They wanted to make Jesus look bad and make themselves look superior...take door number 1 or door number 2. But it didn't work. There was a door number

I want to be more like Jesus in this area. I don't want to make snap judgements, blanket statements, or quick commentary. Rather, I want the eyes of my understanding enlightened, to see things from His perspective and to respond to people from a place of truth in love. As John 8:3-9 shows me, there are more than 2 sides to every story.