Inspired by John 8:2-11
“Is he the
Christ?”
“No man ever
spoke like this man!”
“No prophet comes
from Galilee.”
His voice is
powerful as he teaches
He sits and speaks
like we matter
We cannot look
away from those eyes
They see us as we
are.
Then
The temple door
flings open
Our leaders, the
Pharisees, come marching in
Robes flowing
Beards magnificent
Eyes regarding us
From the heights.
They drag a woman
Clothes rumpled
Hair disheveled
Eyes full
Of fear, of SHAME
“Teacher!” they
shout
So we all can
hear
Like their lives,
This too is a
performance.
They, the
antagonists in this tragedy.
Their voices are
triumphant
Finally,
they know how this will end.
“This
woman was caught in adultery!
In
the very act!”
They
puff up their chests as we gasp
We
stare at her,
Mesmerized
by this sinner’s awful shame
“Moses
commanded that such – “
They
gesture to the heap of sin between them –
“should
be stoned.”
We
look at each other, excited.
Yes,
death is the answer to this problem
But
The Romans – our blood
boils –
Do not allow us
to condemn to death!
But
Jesus cannot let
this woman go!
He, our great
prophet, our teacher,
Cannot violate Jehovah’s
Law!
Some of us
realize
This is what they
have done.
What will Jesus
do?
We look back at
him, breathless.
What is he doing?
We crane our
necks to look
Why, he’s
scribbling on the floor!
Did he hear them?
We whisper to each other.
Jesus, can’t you
see they’re testing you?
The woman’s
strength finally fails.
She collapses to
the ground
“Why isn’t he
here with me?”
She whispers,
sobs
“He said he loved
me!
He said he’d care
for me!”
She covers her
weeping eyes.
A foot jabs her
in the side.
She is not worthy
of tears.
“Teacher!”
They are
impatient with the tragic hero
In this play
His fatal flaw:
his claim to be I AM
Why does he still
write on the stones?
Sweat beads every
forehead
Mingles with the
adulteress’ tears
Running through
the cracks
In the stones
Toward Jesus’
invisible words.
They stamp,
We’re all impatient
for the end.
“Teacher!”
He looks up
We hold our
breath
He stands and
looks each of us
In the eye.
“He who is
without sin,
Let him throw the
first stone.”
Their eyes widen.
We wait, ready
now for a stoning.
Jesus stoops down
And writes.
The leader with the
whitest beard
And weakest steps
Rises
And leaves.
The man holding
the woman
Lets go
And leaves.
One
By
One.
We all leave.
Our sins – our own
sins – condemn us.
Looking back, we
see Jesus rise.
“Woman.”
She raises her
tear streaked face
Abandoned by her lover
Abandoned by accusers
Alone with God.
“Where are your
accusers?
Has no one
condemned you?”
Shaking, she
speaks,
“No one, Lord.”
His eyes meet
hers
She cannot look
away
Her shaking
stops.
He takes her hand
and
Gently – so gently –
Lifts her up.
“Neither do I
condemn you.”
New tears slide
down her face.
“Go, and sin no more.”
Man and mankind
betrayed her
But this is not
just a man.
She looks in his
eyes
One
last time
She knows she is
saved
Not just from stoning
Her heart, her
soul, are free
Her life belongs
to the Teacher
No man and no
gossip
Will own it ever
again.
She whispers, “Thank
You.”
And he knows.
She turns and
walks out
Into the Light.
Photo credit: Anthony Tran on Unsplash.com
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