Adultery is a sin; listen to Jesus' teachings

Then each went to his own home. But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appears again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say? They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."

Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

"No one sir," she said.

"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and sin no more."

(John 7:53-8:11)

Adultery today is one of the major problems afflicting marriages that start off right but later turn into divorce. Which breaks up many families. And what better passage to use to see how Jesus handles adultery.

This incident at this time of history is vitally important because it gives us an image of Jesus, which is consistent with the rest of the Gospels.

Jesus' attitude is not one of condemnation, but one of acceptance and forgiveness. Jesus knows from the very beginning that the teachers of the law and the Pharisees are trying to trap him, for when they quote the law of Moses, they say it is legal to stone such women. However, Jesus knows that they have twisted the Scriptures.

Exodus 20:14 and Deuteronomy 5:18 in the Ten Commandments says, "You shall not commit adultery." The punishment for adultery is found in the Book of Leviticus 20:10: "If a man commits adultery with another man's wife both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death."

Severe as the punishment may seem to us today, in those days, the law was a deterrent, and God wanted the sin cleansed so that his people would remain holy. Jesus did not argue with the teachers of the law or with the Pharisees, because they had mixed the written and oral laws together to negate the man's responsibility of adultery and place all the blame on the woman.

Yet, no one threw a stone, and all the people left. In an Armenian translation of this same passage, when Jesus bends down and writes on the earth, he is writing each name and the sins they have committed; therefore, they quietly left without saying a word.

From Jesus' perspective, there is no tone of condescension or self-righteousness in his words. The sinner is accepted and forgiven, though the sin is not condoned. God's grace prevails over judgment. There is no one righteous enough to cast the first stone except Jesus, and he does not. There is forgiveness for the sinner and the possibility for reconciliation.

In Matthew 7:1 and following, the Lord says, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Today, many rush to judgment. I have occasionally judged before thinking through. I have learned the hard way, and the only way for reconciliation is to say, "I am sorry, forgive me."

My wife and I have been married 50 years, and for us, from the day we spoke our vows, marriage has been 24/7. There are no holidays or vacations from marriage. Adultery never entered our lives because of the love God gave us for each other. Were there temptations along the way? Yes there were, but the Lord is good, for in his prayer, he teaches us to ask the father: "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil," and in I Corinthians 10:13: "No temptation has overtaken you but such is common to man: and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you maybe able to endure it."

God is the greatest artist, and he has created a lot of good-looking people, male and female; therefore, look but do not touch.

In today's world, when adultery occurs, it can lead to divorce, which causes a lot of pain because the love and trust has been broken. Our society tries to minimize adultery by labeling it as just an affair, as if it were a passing fancy.

It is hurtful for the couple, and if they have any children, it hurts them as well.

Where there once was security, with divorce followed by the adultery, security for the children is gone. The families in this kind of situation do not need our judgment or rejection. They need our love, prayers and help.

The Lord reminds us in Leviticus 19:18: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

Also, at most Christian weddings, I Corinthians 13 is read, which I am going to shorten to focus on the word love, which is the unconditional love. "Love is patient, love is kind, and it is not jealous; loves does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."

But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." (I Cor. 13:4-8a,& 13)

Only this kind of love can withstand any hardship or sickness or tragedy, which can happen in any marriage. Sonya and I know from experience; we had help. Our lord is with us, and he can be with you too. Amen.

• • •

The Rev. Aram T. Marashlian is the chaplain emeritus of the Newburyport Fire Department.

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