John 8:9

Upon hearing Jesus’ challenge, slowly, the murderous mob begins to disperse, convicted by their previously seared conscience.  One by one they leave, first the old and then the young, until not one of the rabble is left. Jesus alone remains with the woman, who is now standing alone in the middle of the now empty court. John 8:9 EFP 

This scene is amazing! One moment the crowd is poised to rain down stony punishment on the condemned woman. The next moment the crowd begins to thin out and eventually dissipate until no one but Jesus and the woman remain. The elders leave first—their record has more evidence against them. But even the young cannot deny the sentence that awaits them because of their unclean hearts. 

The narrative states they leave because they are convicted by their conscience. The Holy Spirit does its work. I cannot imagine there is much resistance to the conviction that assails their souls. It’s not easy to admit in public that you are a fraud. The younger ones who have come to what they believe will be an inevitable stoning following the lead of the elders are now looking to see what the leaders will do. They know. They are frozen. They recognize they cannot throw the first stone, but they wonder if someone else will. No one does.

As the crowd begins to dissipate, the woman is no longer cowering on the ground. That is not where she belongs. Jesus has restored her dignity even as he continues to write. The picture of Jesus crouching and the woman standing alone in the middle of the temple court is heart-warming. I can only imagine the flood of thoughts in the woman’s mind. She has been expecting a shower of rocks that would seal her fate. No escape. Now, however, she stands alone with her Savior. That is a picture of me. That is where I need to be…always. No one else matters. Jesus and me. Alone. Only good things can happen in that snapshot.