Choosing Mercy

A Reflection on the Gospel for April 3rd, 2022:
​Fifth Sunday of Lent

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John
8.1-11

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them.

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before the people, they said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. In the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They said this to test Jesus, so that they might have some charge to bring against him.

Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When the scribes and Pharisees kept on questioning him, Jesus straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once again Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground.

When the scribes and Pharisees heard what Jesus had said, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.

Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”
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I like to think I don’t have enemies, but it doesn’t take me long to realize that’s not true. I don’t have a superhero-style nemesis, but there are absolutely people who live and act in ways that are totally opposed to the values I hold. I find them easy to hate and hard to love, and I’ve been guilty of rejoicing when they suffer. 


Adultery is a sin that just about everyone agrees is wrong, and yet it’s seen across all human societies. Some people who commit adultery are forgiven, while others face harsh consequences. We know the woman in this reading was not the only person involved in the sin of adultery — she couldn’t have committed adultery alone — but she was the one brought forward to be punished. She had enemies, and they were thrilled to have caught her in the act. They couldn’t wait to see her suffer. 


Then Jesus says one of His most famous statements: “[L]et anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Even those who have never read the Bible know this saying, and with good reason. It’s a reminder that we and our enemies have this in common: we have all sinned. I might try to downplay my sins and argue they’re not as bad as someone else’s, or make excuses for breaking God’s laws. But when Jesus asks for the person who’s never sinned to condemn her first, no one responds. Her enemies leave quietly.


The person who could condemn her, and all of us, is Jesus. He is entirely without sin. But Jesus chooses mercy, not condemnation: for the woman caught in adultery, and for all of us. 


This doesn’t mean that our sin doesn’t matter. On the contrary, Jesus instructs her not to sin again. And His mercy would not have protected her from the worldly consequences of her choice — a marriage broken, a reputation damaged. God’s laws are made to be followed, because our obedience brings Him glory and because following Him brings us true joy. When we sin, we hurt God, ourselves, and the people around us. 


And yet God’s mercy is always ready for the person who repents. In Jesus, we have a God who always resisted the temptations we give in to, and His mercy is without limits. When I think of my sins He has forgiven, I’m overwhelmed. How could someone I’ve hurt still love me so much? And when I ponder my enemies while remembering God’s love, the grudges become harder to hold. Who am I to say their sin is unforgivable when the Creator of the Universe disagrees?


I pray that this Sunday’s Gospel reading can open our ears in a new way. Let these familiar words be not just a trite saying or a wise quip, but a reminder that everyone — even the person we think is least deserving — is loved and forgiven by God. As followers of Jesus, let us see our enemies with His mercy instead of our judgment.

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Jenna Young
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