It Takes Two to Tango

INTRO: This Christian poem is based on the Bible Story of The Adulterous Woman. John 8:1-11. I titled this poem ‘It Takes Two To Tango’ to highlight the scheme of the religious leaders to trap Jesus, but they overlooked a crucial element of the Mosaic Law, found in Leviticus Chapter 20, which they were referring to in their accusation of the woman. Where was the guilty man? This is obviously why I chose the feature image of a man and woman dancing! I admire how this passage describes how calmly Jesus deals with this particularly challenging confrontation with the religious leaders and His response to the woman. Beverley Joy

PODCAST – It Takes Two to Tango

Early one morning

Jesus was teaching

A crowd of people

In their temple courtyard.

The religious leaders

Who thought they were ‘holy’

And better than anyone else

Brought a woman to Jesus

They had been caught in the act

In bed with another woman’s husband.

They tossed her barely clothed in front of the crowd

Embarrassed, degraded, and humiliated.

“She is guilty” they judged her

“Of sin against God’s law”

“To be stoned to death is the punishment.”

“What do you have to say about that?”

Now wait a minute, something is not right

It takes two people to commit adultery?

So where was the man barely clothed

Standing beside her to face the charge?

And where were the two witnesses to the crime

Who are innocent of that same crime

And required to perform the punishment?

Jesus knew they were trying to trick him

Into breaking the law of the land

For only the king could sentence to death

A criminal of which she was not.

She looks at her accusers

Then back to the good teacher

Now teased and scoffed on her behalf

Like a cat teases prey before the kill.

Jesus said nothing in reply to them

But He knelt down beside her

And wrote with His finger on the stone ground.

They demanded an answer

Over and over

He kept them waiting

Until he stood up.

He looks straight at them

With authority, he spoke

Words of truth to silence

Their evil intent.

“Let the one who has never sinned among you

Throw the first stone at this woman”

Then he knelt down again

And wrote again on the ground.

All her accusers left one by one

Beginning with the oldest

For they knew they dare not say to Him

That they had never sinned.

Her eyes fixed on his dirty hands

As he knelt in the dust beside her

For in her culture men did not kneel

Lower than a woman.

“Who is this man?

Who lowers himself?

Who dirties his hands for me?

Who silenced my accusers?

Even though I am guilty?”

Then, Jesus stood up

And looked straight at her

His eyes spoke gentleness

Love and forgiveness.

“Where are your accusers?

Didn’t they condemn you?”

“No, Lord, not one,” she said.

“Neither do I.

Go, my child,

And change your ways” he said.

His words dripped with grace

Washing away her shame

Filling her heart with true love

Not the foolish love she had known.

Curious, she is drawn to him

“Who is this man?

I want to know?

I’ve heard of Him,

I must learn more.”

You can listen to all my poems on several podcast platforms here

Read or listen to my poems of Women of the Bible: It Takes Two To Tango The Adulterous Woman of John 8:1-11, She Gave From Her Heart The Woman and the Two Coins Luke 21:1-4, Sweet Temptation Eve Genesis 3, Feast or Famine Ruth and I Am Ruth, ‘Thirst Quenching’ The Woman at the Well, Mary – The Christmas Story Part 2 Four Unusual Women, Part 4 Mary, The Christmas Story Part 5 Mary and Elizabeth, The Busyness Excuse Mary and Martha, Her Touch of Simple Faith The women with the bleeding issue,