Word to the Wise
Sunday, April 3, 2022 - 5th Sunday of Lent - C
[Isa 43:16-21; Phil 3:8-14; John 8:1-11,220]"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}
[Isaiah 43:16-21; Philippians 3:8-14; John 8:1-11 - These are the scriptures for Cycle C. Some parishes with RCIA programs may use those from Cycle A. A past reflection on those may be found at my website <rbwords.com> by using the search feature.]
"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}
When the words quoted above from today's gospel scripture are spoken, Jesus and the woman are alone. Earlier there was a crowd ready to stone the lady in question as an adulteress. They "shamed" her in public and used her to test Jesus. Jesus simply bends down, writes on the ground (an old tradition says he was writing the crowd's sins) and then straightens up and says, "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." When he starts writing again the crowd, beginning with the elders (Uh,oh! old sins?) starts vanishing! It's hard to beat this scene for dramatic impact.
I wonder how many folks choose to give up "judging others" for Lent, or any other time of the year? It is one of the most common faults I hear in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Jesus refuses to "judge" the lady other than to admonish her not to sin any more. Pope Francis was criticized by some Catholics and others when he replied to a reporter's question about a particular moral matter, "Who am I to judge?" He was doing nothing more than Jesus did in today's gospel scene.
We can be on both ends of the question because we ARE accountable for what we do. How do WE want to be forgiven? Do we wish to be publicly shamed? Is there a stone in our hands? There was no question about the lady's conduct. The real question was (and IS) a matter of mercy. Mercy can be both firm and gentle at the same time. Jesus gives us the example. Can we follow it? AMEN