5th Sunday of Lent: Forgiven and risen

My entry this weekend is a personal reflection on our compassionate story this week from the Gospel of John: the woman caught in adultery. I have always wondered what happened to those who encountered Jesus on such a deep personal level as this woman in our Gospel this weekend?  Did they merely disappear into the crowds like all but one of those healed of leprosy?  Did thy become his followers? Go back to their families with the astounding news?  Maybe all of the above.  The reflection below is an imaginary meditation I wrote on the reaction of the woman herself after the attempt to humiliate and stone her, as the religious law of Jesus time required, and the effect of Jesus tenderness upon her. Pray over this event and reflect on the questions at the end.  

(Woman caught in adultery: John Martin Borg 2002)

"Has no one condemned you?"

John 8: 1-11

Word for Sunday: http://usccb.org/bible/readings/040719-yearc.cfm

“Neither do I condemn you . . . neither do I condemn you . . . neither do I condemn you. Go . . . and sin no more.” She kept repeating these astonishing words in her mind for they seemed so unbelievable in light of her offense. Did she hear correctly? No one would forgive her for what she had done; the kind of life she had been leading.  What she had done was among the unforgiveable. She deserved the harshest punishment according to the law. It was right that she should be eliminated lest the community be made unclean by her sin, so grievous. 

Yet, she pondered further as she sat: who was he to say such a thing? Why did he bother considering who I am? “Such compassion I’ve never felt,” she thought as she walked away slowly in her own personal world almost oblivious of the crowds around her. With eyes closed she raised her face to the sunshine and slowly stretched her arms above her

“Hey, it’s her! “a shout from the small group of taunting men on the other side of the roughly paved street was heard. She turned towards the shout . . .

“How about later, woman?” Her reputation preceded her yet she had no desire to even look in their direction. She sighed from deep within, lowered her head and said softly to herself, “Never again.  I’ll never go back.”   

She turned a corner now near the temple area again. She walked without hesitation blending into the crowds by herself nearly unnoticed by the mass of people who were fixed on finding him, the charismatic teacher who had spoken to her not long before.

His name was Yeshua, from Galilee, a wise rabbi and they say a wonder-worker. His words brought comfort and were fearless. They were bold and filled with hope. His eyes were dark, his skin a light brown in tone, his hair long and black, his nose more prominent, his beard neat and medium length, his body slender but strong, his hands tough but gentle, and his voice resonated with comfort. Yet, he was known to speak with an unusual self-assurance never heard before.  No doubt, he was like a prophet of God among his people.  This prophet challenged the established religious authorities with a unique tenacity.

As she rounded near the area of her encounter earlier that day, she sat on a bench and could hear a replay of rage and guilt. Her mind went back to those frightening moments of humiliation. It was clear those authorities who thrust her in the middle and then as she fell to the ground before Jesus were far from his friends. Their voices were confrontational and it was hard to distinguish between their accusation of this woman and their challenge to Jesus to decide how to deal with the guilty.

How could she ever forget those words and the shame that accompanied them?  She could still see their flowing robes which parted like a stiff breeze as they waved their arms in anger and disgust.  “She’s guilty as sin.! Caught in the act of adultery!” one Pharisee shouted with disgust as he self righteously pointed at her, now before the feet of Jesus with her head bowed close to the ground, waiting for the first blow of the rock. “What do you say about this?” he confronted the popular rabbi with superiority in his voice. 

She was guilty, no doubt about it and she knew it; she was caught in the very act and immediately judged with great harshness, and they were right according to their law.  But, their accusing tone was mixed with their own sense of self-righteousness.

Jesus was both startled and angered by the harshness he heard in the accusers voices yet seemed unmoved by their attempt to challenge him. For a moment he stood, staring at them. The woman was desperate without hope and found herself caught in a web she could not escape from.

Caught in the act of adultery – intimacy with a man not her husband.  Who her latest man was or what he did was of no concern to her. Her life had spiraled to the point that she despised herself for what she was doing.  She no longer cared and saw no way out.  Or so she thought until she met him.

Suddenly, he stooped down and began to write with his finger on the ground.  At first it seemed like idle tracing but then appeared to form words in Hebrew.  She had little learning yet was familiar with such script.  A shadow came forward and she noticed the righteous accusers were peering at the writing on the ground as if to read it. 

She heard one groan, almost with embarrassment by what he read, then the thud of a stone hit the ground as she winched in fear.  Another shrugged and threw his head back while he dropped his rock and quickly disappeared.  Another was shocked and whispered to another: “Was he there?”

She recalled her relief after the shouting stopped, no rocks were thrown so she slowly raised her head to the teacher before her and he peered deeply with his dark eyes at her in silent compassion – near love actually but a love rich and deep with no ulterior motives. 

Yeshua silently gazed at his writing but he remained with bowed head close to her level.  Her accusers were dropping rocks and stones around her as they shuffled away in response to the teacher’s words which challenged any without sin to throw the first stone.  No rocks were hurled her way that morning as the crowd of men grumbled something about revenge but she paid no attention. 

Yeshua stood there with her alone and grasped her hand to raise her.  “Has no one condemned you?” he asked with a tender voice. 

“No one sir, “she answered as she wondered if maybe this was that moment.

Then he said those unbelievable words:  “Neither do I condemn you.”  But now, forgiven, she knew she could not return to her former life.  “Go, and from now on do not sin any more.” 

And so a new life began for her ..... and now for us. 

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What do we hear this Lent – “You are forgiven?” God is not pleased with our sin but he loves us to the end.  He presents a choice each day to us; a freedom to choose him above all. 

What happened to the woman happens to us – we are forgiven and risen to new life. Can I forgive others their transgressions towards me?  Can I forgive what I have done to another? To myself? To God? What stones have I thrown at others out of prejudice, rash judgement, in anger or gossip?  Can I forgive those who have "stoned me?"

May these final two weeks of our season of grace be a time of change both without and within.   

By your help, we beseech you, Lord our God,

may we walk eagerly in that same charity

with which, our of love for the world,

your Son handed himself over to death. 

Through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, 

who lives and reigns with you

in the unity of the Holy Spirit, 

one God for ever and ever. 

(Roman Missal)