Article September 21, 1935 Issue

"In the midst"

NELLIE A. MONTGOMERY

In the eighth chapter of the Gospel according to St. John is recorded an incident that appeals to every compassionate heart and reveals the ever-presence and power of the Christ, Truth, the Saviour of mankind.

A woman seemingly engulfed in sin was brought by the scribes and Pharisees to Jesus and was set "in the midst." The accusers as well as the accused seemed to be in the midst of error, for in their desire to find somewhat against Jesus, as well as the condemn the woman, the scribes and Pharisees were motivated by self-justification, pride, hatred, revenge. It may be inferred that the woman was overwhelmed by a sense of sin, degradation, shame, guilt, and self-condemnation. Jesus alone was calm, poised, fearless, alert to detect the base motives of the persecutors. He read their secret sins and rebuked them with the piercing challenge, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." Appalled at the reversal of their base attempt, "convicted by their own conscience," the persecutors "went out one by one, ... and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst."

What a marvelous change had taken place, as shown in those words "standing in the midst"! Christ Jesus' vision of the perfect man of God's creating had dispelled the mist of error. The woman stood in the midst of love, compassion, spiritual discernment, the healing sense of the unreality of sin, a holy calm. Then the Master pronounced the benediction and behest, "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."

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