This February, as we celebrate the month of love, we’re diving deep into the heart of Jesus’ ministry by looking at the specific people he loved. While we may have been taught that Jesus loves everyone—and that’s absolutely true—this series will highlight some of the individuals and groups Jesus showed love to in profound and often unexpected ways. This short-blog series supplements this year in worship with Jesus at UMCG, as we explore how Jesus’ personal, transformative, and boundary-breaking love invites us to reach out to others in meaningful ways.
This week’s blog focuses on the woman caught in adultery and the crowd Jesus saw with compassion.
The Woman Caught in Adultery: Compassion Over Condemnation
In John 8:1-11, we find a woman brought before Jesus by a group of religious leaders. They claim she was caught in the act of adultery and demand that Jesus affirm the law of Moses, which calls for her to be stoned. It’s a moment filled with tension, judgment, and shame for the woman and a trap for Jesus.
Rather than condemning the woman or taking the bait of the leaders’ trap, Jesus stoops down and writes in the dirt. After some silence, he speaks the now-famous words: “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7). One by one, her accusers walk away.
Left alone with the woman, Jesus offers her neither condemnation nor shame. Instead, he says, “Neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin” (John 8:11). Jesus showed her compassion, forgiveness, and a path toward a new life. He didn’t define her by her mistakes but saw her as a beloved child of God, worthy of grace and restoration.
Not only does this story challenge us to love those who are judged or ostracized, but it warns against using others for your own gain. Whether it’s someone who has made a public mistake or someone society deems unworthy, we are called to extend forgiveness over condemnation, and dignity over utility, just as Jesus did.
The Crowd: Compassion for the Harassed and Helpless
In Matthew 9:35-37, we see Jesus ministering to crowds as he travels through towns and villages, teaching and healing. In this passage, we are told, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).
The crowd was made up of people struggling in various ways—physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Many of them could have been poor or marginalized, seemingly all were desperate for hope. Jesus didn’t see them as a faceless group; he saw their individual struggles and recognized their deep need for love, guidance, and healing.
This passage reminds us to look at the crowds in our own lives with Jesus’ eyes of compassion. Whether it’s the homeless in our community, those battling mental health illness, or individuals feeling lost and directionless, we are called to see their humanity and respond with understanding and care.
A Call to Action: Compassion in Action
These two stories reveal the depth of Jesus’ compassion as an act of love. With the woman caught in adultery, he showed forgiveness that broke through shame, judgment and dehumanization. With the crowd, he saw their struggles and offered them hope.
Today, we are called to love like Jesus by showing compassion to the judged and the overlooked. Who in your life might be feeling condemned or isolated? Who are the “crowds” in your circles, quietly carrying heavy burdens?
Take time this week to reflect on these questions:
- How can we extend forgiveness instead of judgment?
- Where can we bring hope and compassion to those feeling harassed and helpless?
Remember, the same love Jesus showed to the woman caught in adultery and the crowd is extended to us. As we embody this love, Jesus brings healing and hope to a world desperately in need of it.
