5th Week of Lent, Monday, March 22
Daniel 13:41-62 / John 8:12-20
People bring a sinner to Jesus; Jesus forgave
the sinner.
These lines by an unknown poet strike a universal chord: "How I wish that there was some wonderful place Called the Land of Beginning Again, Where all our mistakes and all our headaches . . .
Could be dropped like a shaggy coat at the door, and never put on again." There is such a wonderful place, and it's located in the heart of Jesus. Jesus wasn't interested in what a person was, but in what a person might become. Today's reading is a classic example of this attitude of Jesus.***
What is our attitude toward people: to be
forgiving as Jesus was, or to be condemning as the Pharisees were? "Teach
me to feel another's woe, to hide the fault I see; That mercy I to others show,
that mercy show to me." Alexander Pope, "The Universal Prayer"
***
The first reading is an addition from a later
period to the Book of Daniel. Probably, Shushanna (Lily) stands for faithful
Israel. And so, in the form of an allegorical tale the story comments on the
faithfulness of the pious Jews to Yahweh, notwithstanding corruption among
(some of) the leaders. This popular tale was a warning against adultery, false
witnessing and abuse of power, and an appeal for faithfulness in faith and
marriage. In any case, the false accusers of the innocents are condemned by
themselves.
Jesus’ words are not unsubstantiated
assertions by Jesus alone, for the Father bears witness to him by letting him
do wonderful deeds. Just look at the words and actions of Jesus and you know
that God stands behind all what he says and does.
***
It is true that the law of Moses stated that
the penalty for adultery was death. The scribes and the Pharisees in today's
gospel, however, seemed to enjoy the misery of the poor woman as they dragged
her before Jesus. They were perverse in that they hoped to use her sad
condition in order to trap Jesus. But our Lord would neither be trapped nor be
a partner to their gloating self-righteousness.
It is not that our Lord condoned the sin of
adultery or pretended that it was not evil. Rather Jesus revealed that he is a
judge who extends mercy to the sinner in order to turn him away from sin. Our
Lord knew what was in the woman's heart, and it must have been that he saw
there the spark of repentance, which won his forgiveness. He told her to avoid
the sin in the future as a sign of her repentance.
Susanna, in contrast to this woman, was
falsely accused of adultery. Until Daniel appeared on the scene, all the people
believed her guilty and condemned her to death. In her innocence she had
trusted in God, and her trust was rewarded by acquittal.
Sometimes we are rightly accused by others
because we do make mistakes; we do commit sins. Some people may even seem to
enjoy our misery at the time. We must remember, however, that Jesus is the
judge wishes to extend mercy to us, no matter what others may think about us,
provided we show the spark of repentance. On the other hand, we are sometimes
falsely accused, and in one way that can be an even more painful situation. It
is then that we must turn to God, like Susanna, and put our trust in his power
to vindicate us. In either case, it is how we stand in the sight of God that
really counts.
***
Encountering Christ:
1. What Authority? The Pharisees exercised their authority
over others by merciless recrimination. Christ reached out to others with
compassion and mercy. The Pharisees saw authority as a means to banish a sinner
from society. Christ seeks the lost and returns him or her to the sheepfold. In
this Gospel, the adulterous woman was about to be stoned for her sin, but Jesus
put a stop to the Pharisees’ hypocrisy and, with a warning to sin no more, sent
the woman off to begin anew. He perfectly exemplified authority, compassion,
and mercy. We are called to imitate him in our dealings with others.
2. Twice Abused: This woman had been used by a man
for his own purposes. And now that she had been caught, the Pharisees were also
using her to entrap Jesus and find a reason to condemn him. As she lay in the
dust at the feet of Our Lord, were her mind, heart, and soul hopeless? Had she
resigned herself to a slow death by stoning? Did she feel that she deserved it?
Any interior darkness was likely banished when Jesus addressed her: “Woman.” An
encounter with Christ, the light of the world, never fails to uplift and
transform even hardened sinners.
3. Christ Forgives: Christ looked at this woman with
infinite love and tenderness. He looked into her heart and forgave her. He
returned this woman’s freedom and dignity to her with the invitation to sin no
more. He does the same for us with each reception of the sacrament of
reconciliation. How blessed we are to have access to the transformative power
of the sacraments.
***
Prayer
Just and merciful God, you take pity even on
sinners and you continue with them a dialogue of grace and hope. Help us never
to condemn, never to give up on people, but to be patient, understanding and
forgiving, together with you and Jesus, your Son, who lives with you and the
Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.
