Let go of the stone of condemnation

April 6, 2025 – Fifth Sunday of Lent

Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040625-YearC.cfm)

Do we find ourselves rejoicing at the faults of others? Are we delighted upon learning that our sister or brother has failed? Do we feel victorious when others are found guilty and shamed?

When we find ourselves rejoicing, being delighted and feeling victorious over the sins, guilt and shame of others – this tells us that something is also wrong with us. Our heart becomes an accuser to people who failed.  We feel righteous because we are not like them. Then, we make “labels” to others. These are forms of “name-calling or stereotyping” to magnify their guilt and shame. We become rejecting and condemning. We demand evil for evil.

Yet, in the deepest of our hearts, are we indeed sinless, guiltless and blameless? Or do we only hide our own failures and sins by magnifying those of others?

This very kind of attitudes that may be creeping in our hearts as well as in our culture have been revealed to us today. On this Fifth Sunday of Lent, the Lord invites us to look deeply into our hearts. And so let us explore the readings and embrace God’s mercy and forgiveness.

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman to Jesus who committed adultery. This whole affair of the scribes and Pharisees with Jesus was filled with malice and hatred directed both towards the woman and also to Jesus himself.

In that culture, women were the only ones who can commit adultery. Men can’t. Women were perceived to be deceiver and caused of sin. This was the reason why the man was not in the picture.

This culture was influenced by their machismo and patriarchal society. Hence, it was only the woman who was brought in the middle of the people. The intention was to shame her and not to bring justice. She was also brought there in an effort to kill her by stoning her to death.

Such condemnation was so cruel. Yet, despite its cruelty and violence, people found delight and joy over it. They even demanded for such savagery because it was what the “law” mandated them to do.

With the leadership of those influential scribes and Pharisees, they condemned this woman. With this attitude, they refused to give another chance and opportunity for the woman to change and redeem herself.

They demanded punishment from Jesus who could also confirm such penalty according to the Law of Moses. This was where their malice and hatred towards Jesus was also to be found. They were trying to find fault in Jesus so that they too can accuse him of blasphemy and then condemn him to death. The thought of it gave them satisfaction.

However, the event was turned by Jesus in the way they did not expect it to be. Jesus said, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”  At this, Jesus redirected the condemning fingers of Scribes and Pharisees towards them. By saying that, Jesus brought them to themselves, to look at their sinfulness. To recognize who sick their hearts were.

It was very interesting at how the gathered people responded. They began to look at themselves and found that each of them was sinful. Each one was not worthy to carry out such punishment towards the woman. Each one was also guilty.

What was more interesting was the way St. John described to us the first initiative of the elders to leave first. The elders of that community left the gathering first because they realized that the length of their life also meant more sins committed.

This Gospel scenario invites us now to look closely at ourselves and to examine better our intentions, thoughts and actions. We are invited also to be more understanding of those who failed but not in the sense of condoning such failures and sins. We are invited to be merciful rather than condemning.

This is what Jesus showed to the woman. Jesus said, “I do not condemn you. Go and sin no more.” The beauty of the Gospel lies here. God has delivered his judgment and showed His mercy. Jesus freed the woman and was commanded to sin no more and not to go back to her old sinful self. She had, surely, found her way to freedom and peace in Jesus.

Pope Francis in his homily on this Gospel story said, “Jesus forgives. But here there is something more than forgiveness because Jesus goes beyond the law. Though Jesus was pure and the only person who is worthy to cast the first stone against the woman, but Jesus did not because he showed mercy. ”

Mercy, as the Pope says, is difficult understand. “Mercy does not erase sins. It is God’s forgiveness that erases our sins. But then, mercy is the way in which God forgives. ”

Thus, unlike the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus saw more in the person of that woman. The limited awareness and refusal of the Scribes and Pharisees to see more, prevented them to discover that there was always hope in every sinner, and that there was more in a person’s weakness and imperfection. This is how Jesus defends us, sinners from the just condemnation of death.  And it is because God always sees goodness in us.

We are all invited now to let go of the stones from our hands and in return embrace a family member, or relative or a friend whom we know have sinned against us. Only then that reconciliation will also begin in us. Hopefully, as we enter the Holy Week next week, may our hearts be ready to celebrate the Easter joy of Christ. Hinaut pa.