A bird this week

March 14, 2005

Accusations Jn 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."

"Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." It is always easier to find fault with others, to make accussations and criticisms than to look at ourselves. There will in many situations be a crowd ready to jump to judgement. There will be in every religion and every temple a group of Pharisees ready to find a failing and a fault. I think this morning that my focus for today will be the mercy and kindness of the Lord and the need to be as the woman accused a person with a new chance in life to avoid the path of sin after being saved from what the punishment of the time would have been, a death. The choice of Jesus and avoidance of sin is a choice of life over death and a reliance on the mercy of God. These are the thoughts that I will carry and review throughout the day.