A woman caught in adultery [5th Sunday of Lent - March 17, 2013]

The Sunday Gospel [5th Sunday of Lent - March 17, 2013]

John 8:1-11

1while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. 4They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 5Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say? 6They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. 7But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her. 8Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. 10Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11She replied, "No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, [and] from now on do not sin any more.”

Reflection

“Neither do I condemn you.” ~  v. 11

Every day, we face condemnation, whether it be from an enemy, from a friend, from the devil, or from our own guilty consciences. But however many condemning voices rise up against us one person never joins in: Jesus. However many memories of past sins or hurts come to mind, it’s never Jesus who brings them up. He does not condemn us.

When the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery before Jesus as a test, he ignored them. He simply said that the person with no sin could cast the first stone. Everyone left, and Jesus uttered words of great promise. “Neither do I condemn you” (John 8:11).

Jesus knows our sins far better than anyone else, even better than we know them. Still he refuses to condemn us. It doesn’t move him one bit when others try to remind him (or us) of our failings. It’s not that he ignores our sins. It’s that he loves us so much that he decided to take our sins upon himself and put them to death once and for all. On the cross, the penalty for every sin ever committed was placed on Jesus. Imagine the suffering he endured. Yet through it all, he never lashed out at us. He embraced it all – all because of love.

This is the mercy God extends to you today and every day. Just as he said to the woman, he wants to tell you, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” Hold fast to these words whenever condemning voices rise up. Hold fast to your confidence that whenever you turn to Jesus in repentance, he forgives you and strengthens you against further temptation.

Do you want to know increasing freedom from sin? Then hand all your sins over to Jesus. Let him release you from the burden of guilt, and he will make you into a new creation.

Prayer Response

Thank you, Jesus, for your unending mercy. While everyone else, including myself condemns me, you forgive. Such love is too much for me to comprehend. Help me to receive it.

Reflection Credits; the WORD among us

Source: The Reflection is from Bro. Abel Navarro (you can visit his blog at http://myblogabelnavarroabel.blogspot.com/).