John 8:7 “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

In this story, the Pharisees bring a woman caught in adultery to Jesus, hoping to test Him on whether they should stone her according to Moses' law. We’ve all been like the Pharisees—quick to point out the mistakes and flaws of others. This is why I find Jesus’ response so powerful. He refuses to engage in their trap (verse 6) and instead kneels down to doodle in the sand. This moment always strikes me as an intentional, almost playful way to defuse the situation. By not directly answering their question, Jesus doesn’t deny the Law of Moses.

Yet, despite the legal grounds for stoning, He doesn’t encourage the Pharisees to act on it, either. Instead, He invites them to pause and reflect. When they press Him further, He stands and offers a self-reflective challenge: “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Jesus doesn’t negate the law, but He doesn’t call for it to be enforced, either. Instead, He leaves room for self-examination, urging the Pharisees to consider their own sins before passing judgment. What happens next? They all walk away, one by one, because they realize they, too, are guilty.

As I prepared this devotional, I was tempted to focus on justice and theological concepts, but I kept returning to how Jesus defused the situation by making the Pharisees confront their own sin. I also can’t help but reflect on how this woman’s life was at risk before Jesus intervened. With a simple statement, Jesus intercepts their judgment and also refrains from condemning her

While self-reflection may not save a life in the same way it did here, it can bring about real change in our lives and communities. Self-reflection is the first step toward empathy and compassion for others. When we recognize our own flaws and pay closer attention to our emotions, we may find we’re not so different from those we judge. Perhaps we can take Jesus’ response as an invitation for us to reflect on our own sins when we are tempted to judge others. And perhaps then we will recognize our common humanity and our need for grace.

Emily Besaw