The Gospel of the Day – 2016.03.13 (Sunday)
A Woman Accused
Jesus
went to the Mount of Olives. At daybreak he appeared in the Temple again; and
as all the people came to him, he sat down and began to teach them.
The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman
along who had been caught committing adultery; and making her stand there in
full view of everybody, they said to Jesus, ‘Master, this woman was caught in
the very act of committing adultery, and Moses has ordered us in the Law to
condemn women like this to death by stoning. What have you to say?’ They asked
him this as a test, looking for something to use against him. But Jesus bent
down and started writing on the ground with his finger. As they persisted with
their question, he looked up and said, ‘If there is one of you who has not sinned,
let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’ Then he bent down and wrote on
the ground again. When they heard this they went away one by one, beginning
with the eldest, until Jesus was left alone with the woman, who remained
standing there. He looked up and said, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one
condemned you?’ ‘No one, sir’ she replied. ‘Neither do I condemn you,’ said
Jesus ‘go away, and do not sin any more.’ (NJB)
The Sacrifice of Mercy
The sacrifice of mercy. That
is what Jesus offers here. It is the only sacrifice desired by God; God creator
of the universe.
There is little else to
remark on in this narrative.
Jesus is at the Temple,
he is in the place that is the center of cultic ritual for his people. His
understanding of their tradition, is challenged by a group of Pharisees, who
are his peers, and a group of scribes who are students of the sacred texts.
He is presented with a
problem which is on its face a legal matter; how to deal with a woman who was
caught in the act of adultery. Testimony was not given. A defense was not offered.
A group had gathered; intent on killing her, intent on squeezing the breath out
of her by placing large stones on her chest. A stoning in the tradition of the
Hebrews.
It was the view of the
crowd that they had a sacred obligation to fulfill; according to the laws of
Moses. The adulteress must be put to death; to satisfy a sacred obligation, a
human sacrifice in the temple precinct.
The Pharisees and Scribes
wanted to test Jesus, and the crowd who gathered wanted the spectacle of a
killing.
Jesus responds by offering
the only thing that God desires, the only thing that anyone their had freely to
give. He offers her mercy, and through her, the offer is given directly to God.
Do not read the story as
if Jesus defeated the crowd. He passed the test, and thwarted the efforts of his
opponents to trip him up; yes, that happened.
The crowd; the crowd he
brought with him, into that sacred place beloved by God; the place of mercy,
and compassion, a place of justice.
Jesus was the first to
make the offering and one by one as the crowd dispersed, they left an offering of
the same.
5th
Sunday of Lent
