The Mob

Puritan Massachusetts is historically a place of judgment and the epitome of the “mob mentality.” The Salem witch hunts were notorious for public executions of people based only on conjecture. Many men and women were hung or publicly humiliated over the years, and many with no real proof of wrongdoing. Even if someone had sinned, the way they were handling it was definitely NOT something we learn from the Bible.

Like many of you, I had to read the book, “The Scarlet Letter” when I was in High School. Written in 1850, we read the story of Hester Prynne, a woman who has a child out of wedlock. She is forced to experience public humiliation in the middle of town, spend time in jail, and wear a scarlet “A” for the rest of her life. Her daughter Pearl was also shunned by the other children in their town as she grew up and had no friends to play with. The people of the town wanted her to feel her punishment and know that she was a sinner. No one would stand up for her.

We find out in the story that the minister of their church, Arthur Dimmesdale, is the father of Pearl but won’t confess due to his position in the church. She was forced to suffer alone, and the man who owned 50% of the blame was a coward. She was left to deal with this punishment alone, and the people of the town never treated her the same.

For there is no distinction:  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 3:22–23

As we’ve talked about all week, there is no one person who is without sin. However, we love to point out the sin in others. Where Hester’s sin was very public, the people of the town were dealing with their own not-so-public sins: gossip, jealousy, rage, selfishness, and hate. They were enraged by what Hester had done, but under the surface, they all knew of their own sin and were willing to condemn another to shame in order to feel justified. 

In the first century, this wasn’t uncommon. There were public stonings of people for their sins. Angry mobs would gather to punish someone for their evil-doings, and it had become almost a form of entertainment or community-building for the people. This wasn’t uncommon, and it was in the Law of Moses. One such instance of this is recorded in John chapter 8. 

Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him.
John 8:2–6

Jesus was simply doing what He enjoyed doing. He was sitting at the temple and teaching the people there when things went a touch sideways. These scribes and Pharisees wanted to make Jesus look bad. They knew the mob would cry out for the punishment of this woman caught in adultery, and they tried to weaponize it against Him. 

On a side note, the woman AND the man were supposed to be stoned according to the Law of Moses, but where was the man? This wasn’t entirely uncommon back then, as women weren’t treated as equals to men in most situations. So, how did Jesus handle this?

Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground.
John 8:6–8

Jesus didn’t tell the people not to stone the woman. He didn’t even speak out against it. Instead, He forced everyone to look inside themselves to face their own sin. How can we play prosecutor if we are guilty as well? We all want grace when it comes to our sin, but are we willing to extend that to others? Jesus knew what he was doing here.

But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
John 8:9–11

Slowly, the mob began to dissipate until there was no one left. Faced with their own disobedience and guilt, no one could cast that first stone. The woman, who very clearly knew of her sin, had to be in shock that she was even alive at this point. Notice that Jesus doesn’t say she is without guilt. He doesn’t say that what she did wasn’t wrong. He says that he doesn’t condemn her. He shows her grace in spite of her very public sin. It wasn’t only grace that He showed her, though. Don’t miss the last three words that He said to her. “Sin no more.” Jesus showed her grace and called for her to change her ways.

Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
Romans 2:3–4

Grace speaks out against the mob. Grace doesn’t condemn. Grace calls us to something better. Don’t miss that call. Put down the stone and pick up your cross.