5th Sunday of Lent – A Reflection by Fr. Leo
Jesus was put between a rock and a hard place. If he argued with the Law of Moses, he would be condemned. If he said Moses was right, they would have killed the woman. Jesus didn’t want to condemn her and bends down to trace on the ground. Only after they kept questioning him did Jesus straighten up and say, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
Jesus called them to accountability about their own spiritual journey before they could consider themselves worthy to judge the woman before them. Realizing they had their own issues they went away one by one. Then the one with no sin tells her he would not condemn her either and instructs her to live a healthy and whole life.
The good news is that God does not condemn us for our mistakes. He simply wants us to wake up to the life he has planted in us, that it may come to full maturity, something that is a life long journey, as St. Paul points out in today’s second reading. The challenge of the gospel is the invitation not to condemn others.
There is a constant temptation for all of us to want to work other people’s programs. People in twelve step programs know this all too well. They constantly remind themselves to work on changing themselves and letting the rest go. The only thing that can make it easier for us not to judge others is to love others as Christ loves us. It is then we seek understanding and let God be God for others and work not to be God’s substitute.
Let us contemplate God’s mercy in our lives and ponder the ways we might move from judgement to understanding of others. Let us thank God for God’s love and strive to share the gift we have been given.