5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel - John 8:1-11

Expecting the Worst

Western Wall, Jerusalem

Back when our daughter was in 6th Grade, I remember she was so excited about going to a grade school dance.  So we dropped her off that Friday night and then picked her up a few hours later.  End of story?  Well, not exactly!

About a week later, she comes into the living room, sits us down and says –I need to talk to you; I have to tell you something and you won’t like it.  Uh oh, this is not good!  So, she proceeds to tell us this story. You know that dance I went to last week; well, it was just for 7th and 8th graders.  Yeah, ok!  Well, I’m only a 6th grader.  I knew that ahead of time.  So, I lied to you and I lied to get into the dance.  I kept waiting for more but that was it.  She was so upset about being dishonest; and for a good week, she let it eat her up inside until she had to tell us.  Was she apologetic and remorseful?  Absolutely!  Did we punish her?  Absolutely not!  What punishment could we have possibly given her that she hadn’t already given to herself! 

Jesus was spending some time in the Garden of Gethsemane praying and was then confronted by this situation in today’s Gospel.  It makes you wonder, doesn’t it?  Where exactly were the Pharisees hiding in order to catch the woman in the act of adultery?  How long were they hiding? How long were they planning this?  Why would they put so much time and energy into expecting someone to sin, much less catch them at it?

The difference between Jesus and the Pharisees is stark.  The Pharisees seem to view people at their worst and expect nothing less, nothing more.  They pre-judge others based on their past and don’t even allow the possibility that they could change.  Jesus sees the woman, forgives her sins (her past) and challenges her to do better.

This wasn’t just about repentance, reconciliation and forgiveness.  This was also about compassion.  And that is what the story of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery presents to us today.  Just look at Jesus’ words!  He doesn’t condemn her; He doesn’t yell at her or berate her.  He doesn’t even judge her!  He speaks with compassion and love, helps her to her feet and tells her, quite simply to go and sin no more – change your life!

Where are we?  Do we judge others based on something they did in the past?  Do we treat them as sinners and ourselves as better?  Or do we accept people as they are – human, fragile, prone to mistakes – and hope for the best?  Aren’t we all in the same boat?  Don’t we all make mistakes?  Don’t we all hope for forgiveness, for the chance to do better?

And that is our lifelong challenge – not just to forgive but to do it with compassion and love!  None of us is without sin; all of us are in need of forgiveness and compassion.  Jesus gives us today a gentle reminder – every saint has a past; every sinner has a future.

Great Spirit, show me today how to forgive without judging, how to love without measure!

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