Hear to See

A Reflection on the Gospel for Sunday, April 6th, 2025:
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.”

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

“When [they] heard what Jesus had said, they went away.” (John 8:9)

My parish priest is pastorally gifted. He brings this gift to the parish and thrives in relational efforts. He also happens to have been born blind. I can’t speak about his lived experience, and perhaps Father just considers this “normal” but, as an observer, I find that his inability to see sharpens his spiritual discernment. It is as if he can hear things left unsaid or see what others can’t, which, given that he is blind, is quite stunning.

While some might say that “seeing is believing,” we must consider that sometimes the visual alone is not enough. Our eyes can impede what we see or cause us to miss important nuances. Consider the skill of a magician who tricks us into thinking the assistant on the table is really cut in two. Or contemplate studying for an exam from notes – usually the student who has been to class and listened to the lecturer gleans a fuller understanding of the material than the student who decides to skip class and study from notes alone. 

What Jesus writes on the ground in this week’s Gospel is unknown, but some have suggested that it is a description of the sins of the crowd members gathered. Assuming this is accurate, then His writing seems ineffectual at first, since the elders and Pharisees continue to question Him. So, Jesus asks everyone to consider their conscience and writes again. The Gospel text seems to imply that, after the second writing, people finally “hear” what Jesus has written.

Perhaps the Pharisees and crowd finally take to heart Jesus’ instruction to remember their own sin, but why does Jesus write a second time after he speaks? I suggest that the writing alone is not enough. It is the presence of Jesus, the Messiah, who informs what is written. Like a gifted lecturer who makes class material come alive – or, more accurately, a just judge from the divine court – Jesus animates their convictions, revealing not only the sins they’ve committed but the reality of their effect. What their eyes cannot see, their hearing understands. And what they hear exposes the depraved state of their hearts, souls and motives. They are sinners, no better than the woman they are condemning.

This Gospel is difficult. We are every bit the Pharisee, so often blind to ourselves. But we must not turn and walk away from this realization. Our best action is to turn toward Jesus, just and merciful, and remember His response to the woman caught in adultery: “Neither do I condemn you.”

His whole purpose is to forgive and heal us. This is why an earnest and Spirit-led examination of conscience is so efficacious before confession. If you have not reconciled this Lent, there is still time. Ask Jesus to explain what His writing in the sand might say about you. Trust that what you hear will help you see. Then, go confess expectantly, ready to receive His gentle and tender remedy, and find peace.

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​Michelynne Gomez

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