The Apostles' Creed declares that one of our core beliefs as Christians is that we believe in the forgiveness of sins. What does it mean to forgive? There's a saying attributed to the German poet Heine: "Of course God forgives, that's his business." The idea is that forgiveness is easy for God. We sin, and God says, "No problem. Just forget about it."

In legal terms, pardoning is a formal act. A governor or president may pardon someone condemned to death for a crime. A judge may pardon an accused prisoner. But it isn't a matter of saying "Just forget about it." It takes judicial grounds.

This scene from John's gospel opens in the very courts of the temple, a sacred place, the place where sacrifices were offered for the sins of the people. As he teaches, Jesus is surrounded by a crowd of listeners. Suddenly there's a disturbance as some Pharisees drag in a woman whom they allege has been discovered in the very act of adultery.

The law of Moses declares that adulterers (both parties, not just the woman) be put to death by stoning. "What do you say?" they challenge Jesus. This is a clever test. If he lets her go, he's soft on sinners. If he condemns her, he belies his own message of grace for sinners.

Jesus does nothing---or more to the point, he says nothing. Instead he writes on the ground. What did he write? That's what we'd all like to know, but the gospel doesn't tell us. One thing is for sure: as he wrote on the ground, the tensions in the crowd grew by the second.

Then Jesus stopped writing on the ground, looked up, and invited, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to cast a stone at her." Then, as though he could care less, he resumed his scribbling on the ground. As he bent over, and his words sank in, the crowd of accusers slinked away, from the eldest (presumably the wiser) to the younger.

Why did Jesus say that? Perhaps to shame them? Or did he want them to realize we cannot go around condemning each other. We are all sinners, and we all stand in need of forgiveness.

Finally Jesus straightened up, looked around as though surprised, and asked the women, "Woman, where are they? No one has condemned you?" "No one, sir." "Then neither do I condemn you. Go now, and leave your life if sin."

So, is Jesus soft on sin? Remember where this takes place, in the temple courts, in the place where blood is shed for pardon from sin. Jesus doesn't just forgive; he pardons based on the payment of his own blood. He went to the cross so that in the justice of heaven our sins might be pardoned. Forgiveness cost him dearly.

And Jesus adds, "leave your life of sin." To be forgiven offers us an opportunity to leave our sins behind. It isn't that this woman will never again sin, but in gratitude for her forgiveness she can commit herself to following the way of Jesus. To use important theological terms, justification (pardon and reconciliation with God) leads to sanctification (living a life increasingly dedicated to God's will).