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)
