5th
SUNDAY LENT
Philippians 3:8-14
John 8:1-11
be the
first to throw a stone at her.”
Last Sunday, we
saw how the prodigal son's life became meaningful once more because of the
father's mercy and love. While the sinner’s life dooms all the more by
condemnation and harsh judgment, the same life brightens with hope by kind
words and warm affections. For indeed, the heart that truly repents finds its
fulfillment only in the heart that truly forgives. This, too, is what we
clearly see in today's gospel. With the Pharisees, the adulterous woman gets
her case totally hopeless. But with Christ, she finds that a new horizon of
hope has dawned upon her.
In today’s
gospel, therefore, we are told about the usual sad encounter between Jesus and
the elders. But today, it is more than ordinary. With the woman caught in the
act of adultery, a concrete moral case is presented before we Jesus. The
message of the gospel unfolds in the interplay of our main characters: the
Elders, the woman, and Jesus.
1. The Scribes
and the Pharisees stand for the morality of the Law. As they bring along the
woman caught in the act of adultery, they also – so to say - carry upon their
shoulders the huge commandment of the law. That is why they ask: "Teacher,
this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the Law,
Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”
In any society,
people are governed by a certain code of ethics. Such would be the basis of
man's judgments on issues regarding human conduct. Most often, we understand it
as the objective norm of morality because apart from man's internal
disposition, such ethical code tells us what is good and what is bad and thus
man must act accordingly. The objective norm of Jewish moral and religious life
is the Law of Moses. The law has played a very important role in their moral
and religious history. Like any other people, this is their code of ethics,
which guides them on what not to do. But more than just an ordinary code, the
Jews render it their utmost respect for they believe in it as the fruit of
God's direct revelation to Moses and thus is the concrete manifestation of his
will. But it is most probably because of this great reverence and their earnest
desire to live according to the Law that they have become servants of the Law.
This is
practically the irony. What perhaps started with the best of all intentions has
ended up with the worst of all expressions. In other words, they end up
defeating the sacred purpose of the Law. Instead of having the law at the
service of man and humanity, they make man and humanity slaves of the law;
worse, while making judgments has become normal because of the ethical
standards set by the law, the Pharisees use such standards to enforce and
justify their ill-motivated judgments. This is precisely what happens in
today's gospel. They bring this unfortunate woman before Jesus and pose that
legal question "to test him, so that they could have some charge to
bring against him.” So actually, they are after not only of stoning the
woman, but also - and even more so – of putting Jesus down. In other words,
they come to try Jesus and not the woman. And besides using the woman for that
purpose, they just have the strongest defensive wall behind them: the Law!
2. This happens
in the midst of the general public who finds it a big issue. A concrete moral
case is presented before the teacher, and this is surely a once-in-a-life-time
opportunity to hear the Teacher come up with a particular moral judgment. But
theirs is a lot of mixed feelings, and a lot of thoughts too. But no one dares
to speak up. Theirs is no more than a posture of wait-and-see: eyes and ears
totally opened but mouths completely closed.
Before the
condemning eyes of the scribes and the Pharisees, and before the wait-and-see
attitude of the public, stands the poor woman caught in the act of adultery.
Now, if what we have is speechless crowd, can we expect for something more from
this woman? To the woman herself, her case is a hopeless one. Although she is
not still sure of what the Teacher may say, by the way the scribes and
Pharisees treat her, she knows she is already condemned.
In fact, she is brought before the general public not to be tried but to be
stoned. So, is there something to .say at
all? Even to regret seems to be too late.
3. Jesus
is clearly put in such a dilemma. But instead of backing out, he takes this
opportunity to bring his listeners - both the accused and the accusers, both
the crowd of his time and the believers of today – back to the original purpose
of the law and its relation to conscience.
It is quite
puzzling why Jesus bends and writes on the ground. But as he does nothing
without any purpose, it becomes so intriguing to ask and interesting to know
what does he write on the ground. As the gospel seems to suggest, commentators
have good reasons to suppose that Jesus must have been listing the different
sins man may commit, from the least to the gravest, and the corresponding ages
at which man may possibly commit them. Surely, everyone would just realize that
as man advances in years he also increases in sinning and in guilt. Thus, the
youngest appears most innocent while the oldest appears most guilty. It is most
probably because of this that the gospel states quite clearly: "And in
response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders.”
Certainly, Jesus
has ample of pedagogical techniques and strategies. By doing such prudent thing,
he teaches the people that the truth they just discover does not come from the
strict observance of the law but from their individual consciences that make
them realize their very own moral standing. Thus, whereas it is true that law
is the objective norm of morality, it is also true that conscience is its
subjective counterpart. These two are the norms of morality, each sharing an
equal importance. Hence, while not dismissing outrightly the role of law, Jesus
brings them back to their respective consciences: "Let the one among
you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." With it,
he directs them to the importance and value of the person who is the subject of
both law and conscience.
Whereas it is
true that no one is above the law, it is also true that no man must be slave of
the law. Law is made for man and not man for the law. Law must, then, serve as
guide to man's conduct and not as master over one’s destiny. It may serve as
basis for moral judgment, but in no way can it be considered as license to
condemn. After all, a good conscience remorse over sin and guilt. Such remorse
is itself already a condemnation.
“Woman, where
are they? Has no one condemned you?”
“No one,
sir.”
“Neither do I
condemn you…”