THE JUST DO NOT JUDGE

READINGS: FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT

In the Gospel reading of this 5th Sunday of Lent, Year C (John 8:1-11), we are confronted with the story of a woman caught in adultery, who was surrounded by unrighteous accusers willing to stone her to death for a crime they were all guilty of, and how they treated her with disgust, humiliation, and shame, her sins laid bare for all to see. But the law required that both parties to adultery be stoned (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22), yet the man was nowhere to be seen in this picture of acrimony.  

My friends, it is very easy to see the sins of others and not our own sins; to seek for forgiveness and yet not be willing to give it; to see the dust in another’s eyes and not the plank in our own eyes, and to seek revenge and retribution when we, ourselves, are equally guilty. Scripture says, “The vengeful will face the Lord’s vengeance; indeed he remembers their sins in detail. Does anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the LORD? Can one refuse mercy to a sinner like oneself, yet seek pardon for one’s own sins? If a mere mortal cherishes wrath, who will forgive his sins?” (Sirach 28:1, 3-5).

As the saying goes, "To err is human and to forgive is divine”. When a fellow saint commits a wrong, it is easy for us to criticize, point fingers, condemn, and call for punishment. But our Lord Jesus showed us a different model in this story. He bent down and met that woman where she was, on the ground, while everybody else was standing up. He was identifying with her pain, sense of shame, and aloneness. It is hard to be compassionate until we can feel someone else’s pain. When Christ lifted His face to respond to her accusers, He reminded us that only a sinless person can cast the first stone, indirectly letting us know that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. It is only when we recognize our sinfulness that we can extend mercy to those who are struggling with sin in their lives. To be Christian is to find ways to help the sinner, not to hurt them even more. 

Jesus knows our worst sins, yet all He does is to offers us compassion and mercy. May His forgiving grace give us courage to face whatever guilt we may have from past sins, knowing that His grace is sufficient and greater than our sins. May His forgiving mercy help us to show forgiveness and compassion to others who may have sinned against us, with the full knowledge that only God sits high enough to judge. May what we do never lead God to remember all our sins in detail. That will never be a wholesome outcome for any of us for eternity.