Love and Forgive: Gospel Reflection for Sunday 7th April

The 5th Sunday of Lent

Loved and forgiven…

We are all very aware of the phrase, ‘people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.’ What does this actually mean? Well, if you’re standing in a glass house and you throw a stone, you are definitely going to break a window and end up doing some harm to yourself! What does this have to do with the gospel this Sunday?

The gospel this Sunday is usually called the Woman caught in adultery. The religious leaders – the Pharisees – drag a woman into the market place and throw her to the ground. They say that she is sinner and deserves to be stoned to death publicly. They want to trap and test Jesus; they are not in the slightest bit interested in the welfare or wellbeing of this woman. But imagine how she feels and how they have made her feel. These man are standing over her with stones in their hands, anger their eyes and hatred in their hearts for her. What will this man Jesus say and do to her?

Jesus, remains calm and looks at these angry self-righteous men. He then says to each of them; ‘if there is one of you who has not sinned, let him throw the first stone at her.’ But they can’t, because they are all sinners too! And so starting with the eldest they drop their stones and walk away. Imagine, how they feel now! What did Jesus do to them? He didn’t judge or condemn them; he let them do that themselves! He simply held up a mirror up to them and asked them to look at their own lives before they destroyed someone else’s.

Then Jesus turns to the woman. He speaks to her with tender compassion; ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one, sir’, she replied.

‘Neither do I condemn you,’ ‘go and do not sin again.’

Jesus treats her with respect and dignity; he lifts and raises her up at all levels. He doesn’t condemn, judge or criticise her; but he does challenge her not to sin again.

When the men with the stones leave, this woman is left with the only one who is without sin, Jesus himself. Even now, he doesn’t destroy her with more stones or abuse; instead he simply forgives her. Imagine how she feels now! 

It’s so much easier for us to point out the sins and failings of others while failing to admit our own. Jesus challenges and reminds us that when are tempted to focus our attention on someone’s else faults, we need stop and look at ourselves first. Who are we to judge and condemn others?

Jesus treats us the same way he treats the men and this woman; he doesn’t condemn, dismiss or judge us when we sin; but he does forgive and challenge us not to do it again. As in all things, Jesus offers us an example that we are to follow; we are called to love others, not judge or condemn them.

Br Michael Moore OMI

Gospel, John 8:1-11

Instead of judging, the accusers must examine themselves

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them.

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground.

When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”