Is
43:16-21; Ps 125; Phil 3:8-14; Jn 8:1-11
This
woman was caught committing adultery. Adultery in the Jewish law is a serious
crime punishable by death. It is stated clearly in Levitcus 20:10 that “If a
man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the
adulteress shall be put to death”. The Scribes and the Pharisees were trying to
fulfill the requirement of the law. But even in their fulfillment of the law,
they were wounding the law because only the woman was brought to be stoned.
Where is the man since the woman cannot commit adultery alone?
The
woman was brought to Jesus. She was treated as a means to an evil end; as a
bait to trap Jesus and discredit him. If Jesus allows them to stone the woman,
his standing for mercy, love and compassion is at stake and he would fall into
trouble with the Roman law. If he asks them to pardon the woman, they will say
he is supporting adultery and breaking the Law of Moses. Unfortunately, they
were all caught in their own trap. When Jesus stooped down to write on the sand,
they taught he was caught on the horns of dilemma, only to hear the heart
piercing and classic judgment, “Let the man among you who is without sin be the
first to cast a stone at her”. At this, they started to disappear, starting
from the elders.
LESSONS:
SOMETIMES WE ARE LIKE THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES; AT OTHER TIMES WE ARE LIKE THE
SINFUL WOMAN.
No
one is in a position to cast a stone on others because all of us are carrying
stains of sin around. We do not possess the essential ingredient for judging,
condemning and executing others which is excellent virtue. So why do we go on
pointing one finger at others while three are pointing at us? Why do we go on
setting standards for others which we cannot meet?
The
most phenomenal accomplishment of Christ in this gospel episode is the
conversion of the woman and the restoration of her human dignity. She was
converted and her self esteem as a woman which was lost to sin was restored. She
was overwhelmed by Christ’s sympathy and mercy towards her, a poor sinner. More
so, she was saved from death by stoning through this sympathy and mercy.
Condemning sinners don’t change them, it hardens them. But loving kindness and
mercy towards them melt their hearts of stone. Today, many are into one sin or
the other due to some harsh realities they are facing. Some are not happy that
are into that but they can’t help it. Our little act of kindness can change the
story of a sinner.
Every
sinner is a potential saint. When the woman was brought before Jesus by the
Pharisees, she was a sinner and the Pharisees were “saints”; she was bad and
they were good. But when the misery of the sinner met the mercy of Christ,
there was a reversal: the sinner left a saint and “saints” left as sinners.
When we spend time judging and condemning others, we overlook our weaknesses
and see no need of amending our ways.
Repent
now and be renewed! Jesus said to the woman, “Go your way, and from now on do
not sin again”. Christ is also referring to us. He is asking us to forget the
past and open ourselves to the future. The past is characterized by misery. The
future is full of the mercy of God, newness of life, peace, unlimited
blessings, abundant joy, and extravagant grace. God has promised this. In the
first reading, he said, “Do not remember the former things, or consider the
things of old. I am about to do a new thing…” (Is. 43:18-19a). In the second
reading, St. Paul reflecting upon his conversion said, “I regard everything as
loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his
sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in
order that I may gain Christ and Jesus” (Phil 3:8). At sometimes we are
prisoners of our past sinful experiences. At other times we feel like going
back because of the carnal satisfaction sin seem to bring. Nevertheless, these
are nothing compared to what God has for us.
The
mercy of Christ said NO to the stoning of the adulterous woman as it continues
to say NO to our condemnation. “What marvels the Lord worked for us; indeed we
are glad”! (Ps 125).
