Today’s Gospel opens with a line that seems disconnected. It really goes at the end of the previous chapter but is good for us to note.
7:53 “Then each went to his own house,
8:1 while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus knew that his power came from the Father. That’s why he was constantly slipping away from the crowds, and even with his Disciples, to pray. In a few short days, Jesus will repeat this sequence. After the Institution of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper, Jesus goes to the Mount of Olives, as was his custom, with his Disciples to pray.
After spending the night in prayer, Jesus goes about his mission on earth, preaching the Good News about the Kingdom of God. Jesus was teaching a crowd of people when the Pharisees barge in and place this woman in front of Jesus and the crowd.
Think about the woman caught in the act of adultery. The Pharisees dragged her out of the hiding place where the two were seeing each other. The woman had to be filled with fear because everyone in that time knew the punishment for adultery – DEATH.
Sister Joyce Zimmerman writes: “The scribes and Pharisees brought an adulterous woman to Jesus and “made her stand in the middle.” In their self-righteousness they wished to make an example of her as a grave sinner deserving of death.”
The scribes and Pharisees really don’t care about the woman or compliance with Mosaic Law. They just want to trap Jesus.
John Pilch writes: “There is a tradition that about the year thirty the Romans took away from the Sanhedrin the right of capital punishment. This is why they could not put Jesus to death.” (That gives a lot of insight into Good Friday. The Romans had to crucify Jesus because Capital Punishment was taken away from the Sanhedrin. JLS)
“The trap is a dilemma. If Jesus urges that the woman be released, he clearly violates the Mosaic Law and proves himself to be an irreligious person. He is certainly no prophet. If he orders that she be stoned, he is in trouble with the Romans, who have taken this right away from the Judeans.”
But Jesus outsmarts them. John Pilch tells us “He buys time for himself by doodling on the ground, a common custom among Mediterranean peasants when distraught.”
When Jesus is slow to respond, the scribes and Pharisees relentlessly continue to demand a response from him.
At this point, Jesus straightens up and said, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Again, Jesus continues to write on the ground. All the Gospel tells us is that Jesus wrote on the ground, but wouldn’t it be interesting to know what Jesus wrote? Did he write:
Liar
Thief
Self-Righteous
Hypocrite
Critical
Pride
Love
Peace
Joy
Happiness
Family
Or was Jesus just drawing circles and designs on the ground? We don’t know. But whether it was what he was writing on the ground or what he said to them, they all left one by one.
Lent is a time of reflection, self-examination, and action. It is a time to examine the sin within our hearts and seek God’s forgiveness.
Sister Joyce makes an important observation: “The woman, however, remained with Jesus. Our own work during Lent is like that of the adulterous woman: truthfully face our sinfulness and faithfully remain with Jesus. Though we sin, Jesus only wishes new life for us.”
HOPE! Jesus gives us HOPE! New Life despite our sins. During this time of Lent, we fast and pray. We sometimes forget that the fasting is not just to comply with Church teaching but to spend additional time in prayer, reflecting on our sinfulness and seeking God’s forgiveness.
Jesus calls each of us today, just like he did the scribes and Pharisees in the Gospel, to inspect our hearts for sin and motives.
Back when I was young, way back in my early twenties, I had a mentor who had various sayings. The one that stood out to me he most was “We criticize in others the things we subconsciously dislike about ourselves.” Over the years I’ve found the truth in the saying. It doesn’t seem possible, but it is accurate.
Every time I have critical thoughts toward someone, I remember the saying and examine my own thoughts and actions for the times I do the same or similar thing.
The public controversy surrounding our government leaders who proclaim to be Devout Catholic and yet push for abortion seems to give the wrong message to the world about our Church. But it is not mine to judge, that is up to God alone. In the teaching of the Scriptures and my mentor’s saying, I do my best to remember my own sinfulness, the times that I have miserably failed, and to pray for all Americans, our leaders and myself included, that we will return to God.
It is so much easier to be critical than to pray for myself and others. It is easy to be zealous like the scribes and Pharisees that the law was broken. But this is the wrong approach. Jesus was always kind and forgiving. We must be that way too.
After Jesus finished writing on the ground, he stood up and looked at the woman and said “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.”
The forgiving Jesus does not condemn us either. Now the hard part begins. After we examine ourselves, and find need of Jesus’ forgiveness, Jesus says to us: ”Go, and from now on, do not sin anymore.”
So, we start back at the beginning of the Gospel, time to slip away from our busy lives and pray. Time to spend alone with God, seeking forgiveness and healing. Time asking God to help us in our daily struggles to resist sin and follow Jesus.
Our lives are so busy, even for retired people, that finding time to pray becomes difficult. Are we willing to spend time in prayer? Or does soccer practice take precedence? Is the TV show more important? Am I too tired at bedtime to pray? Lord Jesus, forgive us for the times we fail.
Which is more important to us: seeking God’s forgiveness and help to resist temptation or the need to get things done?
