Neither Do I Condemn You

This essay was originally written for a class at Sharon Mennonite Bible Institute.  After keeping it for several months, I decided it to polish and share it.

     "Let me go!  Just let me go and I'll never do it again, I promise!" I wailed.  But the man had an iron grip on my elbow and only pushed me along faster as I tried to break free. He was marching me to certain judgment from this Galilean rabbi, and I knew that by the law of Moses I was condemned to death by stoning.  I'd heard that this rabbi had forgiven others of their sins, but He was also righteous.  Surely, His mercy wouldn't quite reach to cover my sins.  
     It was just this morning that anyone seemed to care about my behavior.  Before, I was just another woman who slipped out and found intimacy in the arms of a man who was not my husband.  Now, the religious leaders were trying to entrap this Jesus in His teachings, and I was merely a casualty to their agenda.  Somehow, the man I'd been with seemed to be of no interest to them; as he was nowhere to be seen.
     Arriving at the temple, my captor shoved me into the middle of the crowd, and began loudly proclaiming to Jesus the sin I'd been caught in.  Certain of condemnation and subsequent death, I hung my head in shame.  I heard the man who had drug me here finish the account of my adultery and remind the Rabbi of Moses' law that commanded I be stoned.
      I couldn't believe my eyes!  Jesus' finger was at my feet, writing in the dust!  What on earth was this all about?  He completely ignored the accusations against me, as if they weren't even being spoken.  Keeping His eyes on the ground, He wasn't even looking down on me in condemnation.  The crowd of religious leaders grew livid at His disregard of them and demanded again that I be condemned.
     Finally, He stood up and looked around.  My heart sank.  Surely now would come the death sentence I knew I deserved.  He spoke, "All right, hurl the stones at her until she dies.  But only he who never sinned may throw the first!" (John 8:7 TLB).  Bracing myself, I waited for the first stone to come flying.
     It never came.  The only thing I heard was the quiet footsteps of one man after another slinking away as Jesus continued His writing in the dirt.  Each of the self-righteous religious leaders knew they had no right to cast that first stone at me.  Guilty, and condemned by their own consciences, they slipped away one by one until none were left to condemn me.  
     When no one was left but Jesus and I, He finally stood up and looked me in the eyes.  I quaked in fear of what this one innocent Man might say or do, but the love and compassion I saw in His eyes immediately calmed my fears.  He gently asked me, "Where are your accusers?  Didn't even one of them condemn you?" (John 8:10 TLB).
     "No, sir.  They all left." I replied shyly.
     "Well, neither do I condemn you.  Go and live an innocent life free of sin."  He said, smiling at me.  
     Wait, what?!  No condemnation, when I was deserving of death?  Confused, but grateful and free, I walked away to start my new life.