Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone.” In today’s Gospel reading (John 8:1-11), we hear the story about the lady who was caught in the act of adultery. The Pharisees wanted to stone her as it was written in the Mosaic law. But Jesus replies, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” Hearing this, the Pharisees left one by one leaving only Jesus and the woman. Jesus asks her, “Has no one condemned you?” And she replies, “No, Lord?” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again.” How many times do we walk in the shoes of the Pharisees; quick to judge and condemn and extremely resistant to forgive. Jesus is telling the Pharisees it is okay to judge, but only if you are without sin. It is so easy for us to find fault in others, to find those things that they do wrong. And Jesus tells us that it is okay to judge others, but only if we too are free of sin.

Adultery was a very serious crime in the days of Jesus yet He does not condemn her. He does not even judge her. Instead He gives her a simple commandment, “go, and do not sin again.” Jesus could have condemned her for her actions, but instead, He forgives her. The grace of forgiveness is much greater than being condemned. Forgiveness causes us to reflect on our own sinfulness. When we forgive, we reach out to others to help release them from the bonds that hold them to their earthly desires. Forgiveness and condemnation are a battle between the grace of God and the will of man. We believe that condemning others will make us look better, but it does just the opposite. When we condemn others, we are really saying that we are better than those that we condemn. It keeps us from seeing the gates to heaven. But forgiving others frees us to receive the mercy of God.

A Simple Prayer Lord God in Heaven, I judge others unfairly. I condemn them while I myself am a sinner. Fill me with the grace I need to forgive them so that they will build the strength to sin no more.

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon