Is 43:16-21; Phil 3:8-14; Jn 8:1-11
The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought to Jesus a woman caught in adultery, and they asked his opinion about her case. The gospel highlights the fact that the question was meant to be a trap; the interrogators had the intention to discredit Jesus (Jn 8:6). In effect, the person on trial here was Jesus, not the woman.
It was a no-win situation for Jesus. If he says the woman ought to be stoned to death, he could be denounced to the Romans for agitating people to commit murder. Significantly, he would be contradicting his own teaching about love and forgiveness. On the other hand, if Jesus says the woman deserves mercy, he would be contradicting the Law of Moses which orders a death sentence to any adulteress (Dt 22:22).
Before giving his word, Jesus bent down and wrote something on the ground with his finger. Bible scholars say that this manifestation was customary among Mediterranean peasants when they were troubled. The act, however, gave the scribes and the Pharisees the needed moment to realize the maliciousness of their heart. When Jesus stood up and said, “Let the man among you who has no sin be the first to throw a stone at her”, the accusers walked away, one by one, starting with the elders (Jn 8:7-9). They realized that they, too, were sinners, like the adulterous woman. The elders were first to leave because they had more faults to be sorry about in their own lives.
Saint Augustine noted how at the conclusion of the story we are left only with the “misera et misericordia”, the pitiable woman and mercy. By refusing to condemn, Jesus emerged triumphant over the merciless hearts of the scribes and the Pharisees.
It is quite amazing that during the penitential season of Lent the Church keeps reminding us of God’s boundless mercy and compassion. Instead of threatening us with “fires of hell” and “eternal punishment”, the Church consoles us with the thought that God’s mercy always prevails in the end. Such was the indisputable message in the parables of the fig tree and of the prodigal son. This wonderful truth should not encourage us to keep sinning and be a recipient of God’s mercy forever. We need to hate sin because it is harmful to our relationships with self, God and others. Thus, while Jesus refused to condemn the adulterous woman, he admonished her, “Go away and don’t sin again” (Jn 8:11).
Furthermore, the season of Lent urges us not to be judgmental with others. We all are sinners and are in need of mercy. Only God has the right to judge people because only he is perfect. Somebody said that God himself does not propose to judge a person until he is dead, so why should we?
A young businessman fell in love with a beautiful ramp model. Wanting to be sure of the woman’s moral integrity, he contracted an investigating agency to make a character check on the prospective wife. (But he didn’t reveal his identity to the agency.) After a month, he received a report: “The lady comes from a good family, single, morally clean, honest and very selective in friendships. Lately, however, the lady’s family and friends are quite worried because she is always seen with a businessman friend, who, according to this investigation is ill-repute and has been into corrupt business practices.”
(The story is by Larry Faraon)
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