Reflection for Sunday April 3, Fifth Sunday of Lent: John 8:1-11

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 anymore.”

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 Reflection:

How would you react if you happen to see a sinner? Would you immediately condemn that sinner? Would you instantly judge that sinner? Or you may even be averse to be identified with that sinner. This normally is our human behavior towards sinners: Aversion and judgment.  

In the gospel the Pharisees and scribes saw a woman caught in the act of committing adultery. So they immediately condemned her and sentenced her to die by stoning for that was the punishment during that time. They were so consumed by their judgment that they forgot that they themselves were sinners as well. Did they forget or they purposely forgot that they were also sinful because they were the ruling class?  

In the midst of their judgment Jesus reminded them about their own sinfulness. He told them: “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then, they all walked away from her for they were sinners too!  

Let us not forget that the moment we judge we expose ourselves also to judgment. But who will judge us? When nobody knows about our secret sins except us; there’s somebody who knows our best kept sins and He is none other than Jesus. All of us are exposed before Jesus; He knows every detail of our lives most especially our best kept sins.  

So what should we do if we happen to encounter so-called sinners? We should not judge them for we too are to be judged. Instead of judging them let us rather extend the love, mercy and forgiveness of Jesus for in Jesus every sinner has a future. – Marino J. Dasmarinas