Word to the Wise
Monday, April 3, 2017 - 5th Week of Lent - Mon
[Dan 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 or 13:41c-62 and John 8:1-11 or, in Year C, John 8:12-20,877]MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2017 MONDAY IN THE FIFTH WEEK OF LENT [Daniel 13:41c-62 and 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. God and from now on do not sin any more." [John] The scene in today's gospel scripture is a truly dramatic instance of Jesus' mercy in action. It is not only the mercy of Jesus toward the woman, but, in a way, toward the crowd that is about to stone her. His question, asking while mysteriously writing on the ground, gives them an "out." "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." The silence must have been profound until the first stone could be heard dropping to the ground. Furthermore we are told the first to leave were the oldest. Wa it because their history of sin might be longest? Jesus does not condone what the woman did. Nor does he condone the merciless attitude of the crowd. Were they a group of righteous citizens or were they a lynch mob? He does not do away with the rigor of the law, he simply shows mercy to the woman but charges her not to commit the same sin again. How many times have we felt the thing to do is "Throw the book at them?" "Lock her (or him) up?" How big is the rock we are holding when we do this? Justice and mercy must walk hand in hand. It is not an easy thing to do, but we have Jesus' example and the Holy Spirit to advise us. The old expression, "Let the punishment fit the crime," has some wisdom in it as long as we don't forget mercy in the process. AMEN
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