Word to the Wise
Sunday, March 13, 2016 - 5th Sunday of Lent - C
[Isa 43:16-21; Phil 3:8-14; John 8:1-11]"Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She replied, "No one, Sir." Then Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more." [John]
SUNDAY, MARCH 13, 2016 FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT
[Isaiah 43:16-21; Philippians 3:8-14; John 8:1-11]
"Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She replied, "No one, Sir." Then Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more." [John]
Put down that rock! Could there be a scene more illustrative of Jesus' mercy than the one in today's gospel? There is no question of the lady's guilt. There is no question of the penalty in the Law of Moses. So, what is there to debate? Well....there is the sleazy motivation of those who drag her before Jesus to use her as a way of entrapping him. There is the scapegoating energy of a mob ready to shed blood (all in the name of God's law!). I have commented often on the dramatic quality of the Gospel of John, and this scene is a good example. (Yes, scripture scholars think the final editor added this story, but it still fits.)
Stone-throwers are of many kinds. But the kind that claims to have God's approval are truly a sad case. Can any of us say that we never reached for a stone to throw at someone whose behavior or beliefs threatened our own? Maybe we never threw it, but that may have been the intervention of the Spirit of Wisdom or the mercy of someone like Jesus. The almost constant preaching of Pope Francis about mercy has ironically drawn a number of "stone-throwers" from certain elements in the church who long for older and grimmer days. His preaching, however, has caused more "rock-dropping" than "rock throwing," thanks be to God.
That lady stands before us. Do we drop the rock and embrace her? Now that's a question that can make Lent much more challenging! AMEN
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