No Condemnation – As we have been doing for a few weeks, we are following the Fourth Gospel, and our scripture passage for today is the story of the encounter of Jesus with the scribes and Pharisees who have caught a woman in adultery. Senior Minister, Rev. Dr. Carol Cavin-Dillon is preaching, and reminds us that in John this is the second visit of Jesus to Jerusalem, and in his first trip he turned over the tables in the temple, so when he arrives this time, the religious leaders want to trap him, and to do so they bring a woman who had been caught in adultery and ask him about stoning her because that’s what the law says. Carol tells us that the law also specifies that there must be two witnesses and that the man involved is to be stoned, also. She discusses the part when Jesus bends over and writes on the ground and why that might have taken place. But Jesus famously tells them to have the one who is without sin cast the first stone, the lesson being that nobody is sinless. Then, later, Jesus talks with the woman, gives her God’s forgiveness and tells her to go and not sin again. We must remember that we, as sinners, are not condemned by God but receive God’s grace upon grace. In that, we are told to make every effort to avoid sinning going forward, but we will sin and yet we are not condemned but will experience grace.