Gospel: John 8:1-11
Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But 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. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman
who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. 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. So what do you say?
They 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.
But 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.
Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one
by one beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before
him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her “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.
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Reflection:
Are we sometimes quick to judge those whom we perceived to be sinners?
In the gospel the Pharisees and scribes were very quick to draw judgement
from the woman caught committing adultery. They brought this woman to Jesus
with the expectation that Jesus Himself would pronounce judgment upon her.
Yet Jesus never judged her for what she did, Jesus choose to highlight
God’s mercy and compassion upon her. At the end of the gospel Jesus told her,
“I do not condemn you, go and do not sin anymore (John 8:11). As if Jesus was
telling her, go and start a new life forget the past for I have already
forgiven you. This gospel episode is perhaps one of the best showcase of Jesus’
mercy and compassion.
Through this gospel Jesus is also inviting us to look at ourselves and
have a self-reflection on how we relate with sinners. Do we also judge them
quickly just like the Pharisees and scribes did? When we judge we also invite
judgment on ourselves, when we judge we further push this person to commit more
sins. And when we judge we only highlight the arrogance of the devil instead of
the mercy and compassion of Jesus.
But who are we to condemn or judge when we are to be judge also? Who are
we to judge when we are sinners also? Instead of judging let us always show the
mercy and compassion of Jesus. In doing so we show the sinner that there’s a
God who cares, a God who listens and surely a God who is always merciful and
forgiving. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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