“Ganging Up on a Neighbor”
John 8:1-11 (8:7) – August 3, 2025
Have you ever watched a bunch of people gang up on one poor person? I’m thinking in elementary school, in the playground. Or, what about at the lunch table in high school? Even in the break room at work? A few mean words can turn nasty, fast! Sometimes if it goes too far, a group of people really start to pick on one poor person, or shun them, even ostracize them! And worst of all, the people doing the shunning can be such hypocrites!
Now we are entering the sketchy neighborhood of our Scripture reading for this morning. We have a group of Jewish leaders, big shots in their synagogues. You know what happened. These Jewish leaders have grabbed a woman in the very act of adultery. She may have been a married woman, and she was having sex with a man who was not her husband.
The Rabbi Jesus has been talking with and discussing with groups of these leaders for some time. And, Jesus has been very successful at dialoging with these leaders, too! But, wait – they finally think they have got a situation that the Rabbi Jesus cannot squirm out of!
“Imagine the sense of urgency and the heightened emotions of the crowd swarming in on Jesus as he taught in the temple. They put this woman in front of the crowd. The Pharisees used her as an item, an object, a thing to entrap Jesus. I can imagine the contempt in the Pharisee’s voice as he asked, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. . . . Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’” [1]
Now, wait just a moment! The Jewish leaders have dragged this woman in front of Jesus, in front of the crowd in the Temple, and are accusing her, with baited breath! I can just see the crowd getting all agitated and upset! “Of course the Law of Moses tells us that adultery is bad! Of course this woman is guilty – our Jewish leaders say so! Of course she should be punished!” I can just hear the voices and noises of the crowd becoming more and more frantic and angry!
And, what does Jesus do? Nothing. He does not respond. He does not fly off the handle, as some people would. He does not react abruptly to the leaders or the crowd, either. Instead, Jesus stooped down and began writing on the ground with His finger. Finally, after the Jewish leaders kept badgering Him with questions, the Rabbi Jesus does respond.
Except, that makes me wonder. I know in our culture, in the United States, we do not stone people. Except, we still will ignore, and even jeer at people sometimes. We still practice shunning individuals in this country, sometimes.
These Jewish leaders and big shots at their synagogues seemed to have it all together. Except, these men were hypocrites, all the way! Saying one thing and doing another is the height of hypocrisy! I suspect these men – because the Jewish leaders were all men – these men felt fully justified in themselves. Fully self-righteous, and they couldn’t be bothered with pesky little things like their own repeated sin, or their conscience pricking them on the inside.
I want each of us to understand how damaging it is to say one thing but do something totally different. “Do as I say, not as I do!” This is definitely the work of a hypocrite.
“Hypocrisy creates barriers, harms relationships, and leads people away from God. In Matthew 23:27, Jesus calls out the Pharisees, saying, ‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones.’ The Pharisees focused on appearing holy, while ignoring God’s call to live with integrity and compassion.” [2]
The angry leaders who brought the woman to Jesus clearly were accusing and vicious towards the unnamed woman, and considered her simply a thing, an object of sin. I wonder whether they even considered the fact that this woman was a person of worth, or that she was created by God, just as much as each of them were? These were ways in which these leaders of the community could certainly live out God’s call to live each day with integrity and compassion – which the Rabbi Jesus did each day.
Jesus did not suddenly react or defend either Himself or the woman. Instead, He slowed down the frenetic emotion and action. Jesus reflected, and listened. Finally, Jesus made a comment. I imagine Him making that comment in a quiet but firm voice: “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then, “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.”
Our summer sermon series features Fred Rogers, of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. We have considered several serious narratives from the Gospels during this series, and this week is no exception. Fred Rogers was no stranger to serious matters. A number of his television shows discussed very serious things – to children, yes, but also to adults. Divorce, death, war, and even the terrorist activity in 2001, on 9/11.
Fred Rogers excelled at listening to people. “Reflective listening, which does not imply agreement, pauses your agenda and aims to understand first. Fred listened intently and often agreed with the children since he was tuned into their fears and frustrations. [One of Fred’s signature messages,] ‘I like you just the way you are’ can’t get any more validating – pure emotional gold.” [3]
When Jesus practiced reflective listening in this extremely emotional situation in the Temple, we can see how tuned in Jesus was to the crowd’s fears and frustrations. And then, He turned the situation around, even turned it on its head by stating to the accusers in a quiet but firm voice: “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Jesus saw this woman as someone worthy of respect, a creation of God, unlike the men who accused her. Jesus’ words and actions offers this woman self-reflection and changed behavior at the realization of sin, just as He offered to the Jewish leaders and the crowds, multiple times throughout His ministry. “Jesus’s actions were scandalous because they broadened acceptance, extended mercy and forgiveness to the undeserving, and brought justice to the overpowered and abused. Will the church ever do the same?” [4]
Yes, today’s Scripture reading is extremely serious. And yes, Jesus makes His offer of grace and mercy, forgiveness and compassion to this woman, to the Jewish leaders who accused her, to the crowd, and to each one of us today. We can live honest, compassionate lives, with kindness and humility, today.
Here’s a challenge: “try to pay close attention to any moments when you might feel yourself slipping into judgment or hypocrisy. Maybe it’s a small thought about someone’s behavior, or a reaction to something they said. When you notice this, take a step back and remind yourself that we aren’t perfect either. Instead of letting judgment grow, try saying a silent prayer—for that person and for yourself. Ask God to help you see them through His eyes, with compassion and understanding.” [5]
I know I often ask in my sermons “what would Jesus do?” Who would Jesus forgive?
This week, I am going to change up my question, and ask “what would Fred Rogers do?” Who would Fred listen to? Who would Fred call his neighbor? I think, everyone. Each and every person, no matter who. Go. Go, and do that.
Alleluia, amen.
(A big thank you to the online resources for Mr. Rogers Day – the Sunday nearest March 20th, Fred Rogers’ birthday. These resources come from the Presbyterian Church (USA). https://www.pcusastore.com/Content/Site119/Basics/13792MrRogersIG_00000154465.pdf )
(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. #PursuePEACE – and A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!
[1] https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/four-important-lessons-we-can-learn-from-jesus-and-the-woman-in-john-8/
[2] https://young-catholics.com/14808/exploring-hypocrisy-free-lesson-plan/
[3] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-full-picture/202302/mister-rogers-remembered-since-we-need-him-now
[4] https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/four-important-lessons-we-can-learn-from-jesus-and-the-woman-in-john-8/
[5] https://young-catholics.com/14808/exploring-hypocrisy-free-lesson-plan/
Pastor, Preacher, Pray-er 