NEITHER DO I CONDEMN YOU

The readings for today speak of innocent life spared and the Innocent sparing. This Lenten season speaks of the sparing of all of us. We can be made innocent again and not be condemned as we sin no more. Every sin of all of us is laid on the whole body of Jesus on Good Friday. What does the prophet Ezekiel said, “Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked? says the Lord GOD. Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way that he may live?” God is about mercy and reconciling ourselves to Him. It doesn’t matter how far, long it’s been and ugly our sins, God is calling us back, to rise up from the darkness, shame and guilt of our sins because Jesus our Savior is coming for us. Jesus died for all the sins of the world. Every pain, scourge of His passion, nail of crucifixion, He would have endured even if it’s just only one of us who have sinned. Our souls should be aware of what’s to unfold in Holy Week, the week that saved the world. It’s wonderful, all of us who have sinned and denied God one way or another are being embraced by this truth. Jesus forgave this woman caught in adultery but the scribes and the Pharisees wanted to test him. If Jesus said no when asked, should we stone this woman? It would mean that He doesn’t follow the law of Moses and approves of adultery. But if He said yes then He can no longer be identified as friend of sinners. Everything that is written in the Old Testament and before the time of Jesus is partial revelation, a line has to be drawn in the sand. In today’s gospel, Jesus bent down and wrote with His finger on the sand. Jesus revealed the mercy of God. On our part we need to repent which means being sorry for our sins, turn around and embrace what is right but not to diminish the seriousness of sins. It doesn’t mean that Jesus is more tolerant of adultery than the God who spoke to Moses. He is the same God. The advancement of revelation in the Christian era does not diminish the sin but enhances the magnificence of the mercy of God. God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, the trap and test for Jesus does not work. He stoops down writing in the sand like keeping a record of something, of the sins. He knows that we know the difference from right or wrong but we have to look at that in the light that we all have sins. We must recognize that we all have to turn to the Lord. The name of the woman in the gospel is not mentioned. The passage does not say anything about her, the people don’t care about the person and just making her an object to test Jesus. Every day this gospel passage is taking place again and again, Nowadays we see a culture that sees the doing away of a life of a person as the solution to a problem. We need to bear a clear witness of Jesus in whom we believe tells us, “Neither do I condemn you.” We need to build a society that rejects death penalty and abortion. We have to constantly hear these words of Jesus in order to find this path leading to peace. We have to know the Lord in prayer, sacraments and in virtue to find ourselves in the embrace of God’s mercy. Amen. Hallelujah!

Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62
...Thus was innocent blood spared that day.


Psalms 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6
R: Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 In verdant pastures he gives me repose; beside restful waters he leads me; 3 he refreshes my soul. (R) He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage. (R) 5 You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (R) 6 Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.


John 8:1-11
...“Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 5 Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 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. 7 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.” 8 Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. 10 Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”