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Gospel: John 8: 1-11
Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area,
and all the people started coming to him,
and he sat down and taught them.
Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman
who had been caught in adultery
and made her stand in the middle.
They said to him,
“Teacher, this woman was caught
in the very act of committing adultery.
Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.
So what do you say?”
They said this to test him,
so that they could have some charge to bring against him.
Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.
But when they continued asking him,
he straightened up and said to them,
“Let the one among you who is without sin
be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.
And in response, they went away one by one,
beginning with the elders.
So he was left alone with the woman before him.
Then Jesus straightened up and said to her,
“Woman, where are they?
Has no one condemned you?”
She replied, “No one, sir.”
Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.
Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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The slap heard around the world.
I’m sure many of us saw a replay this week of what happened when Will Smith confronted Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars.
It was a humiliating moment for each of them in different ways.
Perhaps Will Smith described the incident best when, 45 minutes later, he returned to the stage to receive the award for Best Actor, his very first – and perhaps his last – Oscar.
In his speech, he said tearfully, “At your highest moment, be careful. That’s when the devil comes for you.”
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Smith is right – the devil can strike us at our highest high … or at lowest low.
That’s what the devil does – he pits us against each other; he divides and humiliates us; he leads us to make decisions we later regret.
Can I think of a time when I also found that to be true?
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We see the same divisive dynamics unfolding in today’s Gospel: deceit, humiliation, and regret. People pitted against each other.
A woman is caught in the act of adultery and dragged before Jesus, surrounded by seething men bearing stones. They’re eager to put her to death, but they want to pressure Jesus into making the call.
It’s a harrowing scene.
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Instead of entering into an unwinnable debate, Jesus simply bends down and begins to write on the ground with his finger.
What’s he writing?
Some scholars suggest Jesus was buying time; he’s doodling in the dust to collect his thoughts. Most say he was writing an account of the scribes and Pharisees’ own sins.
Jesus uses this woman’s humiliating situation as a mirror, reminding the scribes and Pharisees that they, too, are guilty of sin. They, too, are in need of God’s forgiveness.
But instead of taking the opportunity to repent, they close their eyes in frustration, drop their stones, and wander off, plotting another scheme to trap Jesus, with the ultimate goal of putting him to death.
As we celebrate Palm Sunday next week, we will see their evil plans come to fruition.
So, the devil continues to wreak havoc in their hearts, pitting the scribes and Pharisees against their neighbors and even against God himself.
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How many of us are left wondering, “What happened to this woman’s partner? Where was he when all of this was happening? Why didn’t the scribes and Pharisees drag him into the temple area, too?” He was just as guilty.
Meanwhile, the compassion of Christ is revealed. “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? … Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”
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Over the years, popular culture has embraced a phrase from today’s Gospel – “Let the one without sin cast the first stone.”
And, by extension, “Only God can judge me.”
While these are both true, we must take those lines with a grain of salt, considering the entire context.
Yes, this woman is forgiven. But Christ also says to her:
“Go, and sin no more.” Meaning, don’t go back to where you were; don’t continue the conversation with that man; don’t make another decision you’ll later regret.
Keep the devil at bay.
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Like this woman, in what ways is the Lord extending his forgiveness, while also calling me to reform my life?
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The devil can strike at our highest high … at our lowest low… or really any day in between. Sadly, many saw this truth unfolding on live television.
But when the devil rears his ugly head, we turn to Jesus, who says, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more.”
With God’s grace, all things are possible.
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Image credits: (1) NPR (2) The Ministry of Jesus (3) blog.peacebewithu.com