: of her behaviour as no condemnation. The
: condemnation is IMPLICIT.
Jesus is very explicit, 'Neither do I condemn you'.
: It's not about a view. It's simple logic.
I agree. It's illogical to assert an 'implicit' condemnation when there is none.
: To state the obvious, we're obviously
: reading the story differently.
Yep.
: OK, nothing wrong with her previous
: life..
No. Jesus doesn't say there's nothing wrong with her previous life, but he explicitly avoids condemning her. In other words, he leaves it up to the woman to reflect on her previous life and invites her to change it. Who better?
: just time to be DIFFERENT, got it.
In the context, Jesus presents the woman with a radically different view about life and her relationship with God (through his agency). He intervenes in her immanent and, no doubt, painful death. This wasn't random a murderous mob, this was a crowd who were acting in a way that was regarded as righteous. Righteously they condemn her because she was 'caught in the act'. They were agents of God's judgement.
Jesus proposes a different way.
First, he confronts the mob with their own sinfulness and makes it clear that as sinners they are in no position to judge, let alone carry out a mortal judgement.
Then he distinguishes himself from the mob by telling the woman, explicitly, the he also won't judge her.
Jesus shows the woman a different way and invites her to see her life in this different context. This is an invitation to metanoia.
Jesus saved her life and in the context of that powerful act of courage and compassion, invites her to live a new life.
: "Go on a NEW WAY that is
: DIFFERENT!" I'm getting the hang of
: this...
This is a clear and explicit example of Jesus making a break from the past and proposing, by word and action, a new way.
In the past, there was no way out for a woman caught in adultery. It was acceptable, if not required, for others to act as God's judge and executioner.
So Jesus' intervention here is definitely a new way. It's the point of the story.
http://members7.boardhost.com/TrueCatholic/msg/1518585414.html
LOL ... ish.
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