Word to the Wise
Sunday, March 25, 2007 - Fifth Sunday in Lent
[Isaiah 43:16-21; Philippians 3:8-14; John 8:1-11]Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to case a stone at her.
Those who have seen the popular movie, THE PASSION OF CHRIST, will recall the dramatic presentation of this particular gospel event. Jesus draws a line in the sand! He does it in more than one sense. We really don't know what he wrote in the sand. One old tradition has it that he started writing down the sins of the scribes and Pharisees! The real "line in the sand" is the challenge to be merciful. This story is one that we can all learn from. Can any of us say that we've never had an unmerciful thought? That we've never thought that somebody "has it coming to them?" That "they broke the law and now they must pay the price - period!" Have we never picked up a stone or even wanted to pick up a stone to cast at the miserable sinner in front of us? This is where mercy meets a big challenge. There's no defense offered for the woman's conduct. Apparently she was caught "in the act." Is there any defense to be made for the conduct of the scribes and Pharisees who attempt to use her in an effort to trap Jesus? Do we overlook their conduct in our haste to "do justice" in regard to the woman? Jesus calls attention to the stone in the hand. One hopes that the stone goes no further than that! If it does and we discover to our shame that we have become complicit in a lynching, dare we hope to have more mercy than we showed? We can only hope that Jesus will be our judge! AMEN
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