The prophet Michah speaks of God as “delighting in showing mercy” (Michah 7,18) and that sums up much of the liturgy of the 5th Sunday of Lent, the last before Palm Sunday, when we begin Holy Week. As we draw close to Palm Sunday, our Sunday readings again call us to repentance and ask us to trust in God’s loving mercy and forgiveness. We are invited to turn again to God, conscious of our sinfulness.
The prophet Isaiah, in exile in Babylon with his Jewish countrymen, gives them hope when they had almost given up on ever returning to their beloved Jerusalem. In today’s reading, Isaiah, speaking on behalf of God, tells the people not to dwell in the past but to look forward. “See, I am doing a new deed; even now it comes to light.” God, through Isaiah, is giving the people hope and promising to care for them.
The Gospel from John tells of an incident in the life of Jesus. He is teaching a large crowd in the Temple in Jerusalem. The scribes and Pharisees have been listening and planning to trap Jesus into either denying the law about punishment for adultery or supporting stoning in its cruelty, thus not being the generous, accepting person people see him to be. They bring before Jesus a woman guilty of adultery, remind him of the law about the punishment for adultery, and ask what does Jesus has to say about this.
Unexpectedly, Jesus ignores the question, stoops and starts writing in the dirt with his finger. The questioners persist. Jesus looks at them and, still not answering the question, tells them that if any of them has not sinned, let that person throw the first stone. Then Jesus resumed writing on the ground. No one threw a stone, and the accusers slunk away until only Jesus and the woman remained, she standing and Jesus still writing on the ground. When she told Jesus that no one had condemned her, Jesus looked at her and said he didn’t condemn her either, telling her to go on her way “and don’t sin any more.”
Jesus treated the woman with respect, in no way approved of her conduct, did not lecture her, and told her to go on with life “and don‘t sin any more." So like Isaiah in our first reading, “No need to recall the past; no need to think about what was done before." Jesus gave this woman the hope of a new life just as God, through Isaiah, was giving the Jews hope.
This story touches on our lives: how God treats us and how we treat each other. God’s love for us is just as the story shows. God respects us for our freedom to make choices, but in no way does He approve of our sins. He rejoices in our repentance. He tells us, “No need to recall the past,” and through his merciful forgiveness, Jesus says to us, as he said to the woman, “Neither do I condemn you; go away and don’t sin any more." Despite our sins, God’s mercy and forgiveness give us great trust in our His treatment of us. No wonder Michah could write God is “delightful in giving us mercy."
Do we treat others with respect, consideration, and mercy? Do we throw stones at those with our harsh words, snide remarks, the mocking laugh, the cold shoulder, sledging, racist remarks, not giving the benefit of the doubt, and other unkind actions in everyday situations? These are just the opposite of Jesus acting with understanding and respect towards the woman. God makes a better and kinder judge than we do. Do we respect and care for the creation God has given us?
The last word goes to St. Paul in his letter to the Philippians (our 2nd reading): "I forget the past, and I strain ahead for what is to come. I am racing for the finish, for the prize to which God calls us upwards to receive in Christ Jesus."
Columban Fr Reg Howard currently lives at St Columban's, Essendon.
