He Would Forgive Them All

Monday of 5th week in Lent

John 8

If one reads the two Bible stories we proclaim today, it is very easy to see that the Gospel is a midrash on the Susannah story from the Deuterocanonical chapters in the Book of Daniel. A midrash casts a later incident in the style of an older one, particularly if both stories make the same point. So what is the point here?

Susannah was an innocent woman, accused of adultery by two prototypical dirty old men. The unnamed woman in the Gospel, whom some mistake for Mary Magdalene, was guilty as sin. She really did commit adultery. Both were in danger of death, and both were saved by prophets.

The critical phrase in today’s Scripture is “let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” This is a trap for the Pharisees and a lesson for us. None of us judges from a sinless perspective. None of us is sinless. God is the judge of sin, and God is all mercy and compassion for those who repent. Even here, faced with a sinful woman, caught in the act, Jesus gives an opportunity for her and her accusers to repent and be forgiven and change a sinful life. By God’s grace, won for us in the crucifixion of Christ, all of us are given that chance.

Note well the last sentence–sin no more. The grace of God is given so that we may put sin behind us, and live a life of prayer, repentance and service. We don’t know what happened to this woman, but we do know what Jesus expected of her, and what He gave her the grace to do–lead a virtuous life.

Today let’s pray for the grace to avoid the sins of presumption and pride. All of us are weak and sin-prone, and all of us need God’s daily help, given in this sacrament, to do good & avoid evil.