While Jesus was teaching in the temple, the Scribes and Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught committing adultery. They said to Jesus, "Moses has ordered us in the Law to condemn women like this to death by stoning. What have you to say?" (Jn 8:5).
With this question they wanted to set a trap for him. In fact, if Jesus had spoken against the stoning, they could have accused him of going against the law. For according to the law, actual witnesses were to begin throwing stones at the one who had sinned, and then the people were to follow in turn. If, instead, Jesus had confirmed the death sentence, they would have succeeded in making him contradict his own teaching about God’s mercy toward sinners.
But Jesus who, unperturbed, was bent down writing on the ground with his finger, finally straightened up and said:
"Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."
When they heard this, one by one the accusers went away, beginning with the eldest. Jesus then turne to the woman and asked, "Where are they? Has no one condemned you?" "No one, sir," she replied. "Neither do I condemn you," said Jesus. "Go, and from now on do not sin any more" (Jn 8:10-11).
Jesus wishes to unmask the hypocrisy of those who set themselves up as judges of their fellow human beings who have sinned, without recognizing that they themselves are sinners.
In all our dealings with others, let us remember that we, too, are sinners. All of us have sinned; and even if we feel that we ourselves have not done anything seriously wrong, we must bear in mind that we may not know just how strongly circumstances have influenced others, causing them to fall and to stray far from God. We do not know how we would have acted had we been in their place.
If Jesus, who was certainly without sin, did not throw the first stone at the adulteress, neither can we condemn others. We should show compassion toward everyone, resisting those impulses that drive us to condemn others without mercy. We need to learn how to forgive and forget. And to not harbor traces of judgment or resentment in our hearts since these can easily give rise to anger and hatred which alienate us from others. Let us see every person "new" in every moment.
With this question they wanted to set a trap for him. In fact, if Jesus had spoken against the stoning, they could have accused him of going against the law. For according to the law, actual witnesses were to begin throwing stones at the one who had sinned, and then the people were to follow in turn. If, instead, Jesus had confirmed the death sentence, they would have succeeded in making him contradict his own teaching about God’s mercy toward sinners.
But Jesus who, unperturbed, was bent down writing on the ground with his finger, finally straightened up and said:
"Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."
When they heard this, one by one the accusers went away, beginning with the eldest. Jesus then turne to the woman and asked, "Where are they? Has no one condemned you?" "No one, sir," she replied. "Neither do I condemn you," said Jesus. "Go, and from now on do not sin any more" (Jn 8:10-11).
Jesus wishes to unmask the hypocrisy of those who set themselves up as judges of their fellow human beings who have sinned, without recognizing that they themselves are sinners.
In all our dealings with others, let us remember that we, too, are sinners. All of us have sinned; and even if we feel that we ourselves have not done anything seriously wrong, we must bear in mind that we may not know just how strongly circumstances have influenced others, causing them to fall and to stray far from God. We do not know how we would have acted had we been in their place.
If Jesus, who was certainly without sin, did not throw the first stone at the adulteress, neither can we condemn others. We should show compassion toward everyone, resisting those impulses that drive us to condemn others without mercy. We need to learn how to forgive and forget. And to not harbor traces of judgment or resentment in our hearts since these can easily give rise to anger and hatred which alienate us from others. Let us see every person "new" in every moment.
posted by The Phantom Novelist at
1:32 pm
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