Father Timothy MarcoeLast week, we spoke about the amazing parable of the prodigal son – that is, the younger son, who turned his back on his father to live life the way he wanted to without regard for anyone else. He took his inheritance prematurely, and putting his selfish desires first, went off and wasted it all with nothing to show for it. We took that parable then and began to apply it to ourselves – because the truth of the matter is, that was a parable for us. We are children of our eternal Father in heaven. And we have squandered the inheritance of sanctifying grace that we had received at baptism. We too are left destitute in our woundedness, our sinfulness and our brokenness.
This penitential season of Lent, then, is meant to help us get in touch with this spiritual poverty within – uncomfortable as that can be. As I have said many times, during this holy season of Lent, we are meant to empty ourselves out of selfishness, our self-centeredness, and our inordinate self-absorption – doing things our own way – so that we can be filled with the grace of Jesus Christ. We empty ourselves out to be less full of ourselves – step one – in order that Jesus may fill us more with His divine presence – step two. And the more Jesus through the Holy Spirit fills us is the more we will live and love like Jesus. This spiritual process in two steps is made amply clear in our Gospel today too.
As we heard at the outset, the scribes and Pharisees were trying to test Jesus – trap Him, really. Apparently, this woman had been caught in the act of adultery. If so, where was the man? Good question! But the scribes and Pharisees put Jesus in an impossible situation. Everyone then knew that only the Roman government could enact a sentence of capital punishment, of which, stoning someone was. However, if Jesus ignored the Jewish Law, which imposed the sentence of stoning for such a sin as adultery, then Jesus would be somehow ignoring the Law.
However, as so often is the case in life, the real issue was not about the issue at hand – in this case, the poor woman. Rather, the real issue was about the hearts of the scribes and Pharisees that were so hardened. In their minds, they weren’t sinners – that woman was. Just like the parable from last week, they would have said, it was clearly the younger son who was the debased sinner – completely missing the fact that the older son’s heart was so hardened and deadened to real relationship with the father too. So yes, this woman may have been more like the younger son in her sins. But the religious leaders were just like the older son in his.
And so, Jesus tries to break through to them. He says, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” What do they do? The ball is now in their court. And they face a real dilemma. If they cast a stone, they will be liable to arrest under the Roman authorities for seeking to impose capital punishment. But, if they leave, then they are at least tacitly acknowledging that they are sinners. In the end they leave. But whether their hearts changed, only God knows.
Then, after every single one of them had left, Jesus was alone with the woman. What did He say to her then? What many are quick to say is, “I do not condemn you” – which He does. But what else? “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” In that moment, this vulnerable woman was likely so much more open to that call to repentance than the scribes and Pharisees were. But it was a message for all of them.
My friends, step one is acknowledging that we are sinners. We are. But what do we do with that realization? Do we just go on our way, with hearts still hardened? Or, can we take the risk to repent of sin by coming to Reconciliation?
But step one is only step one. We do step one to get to step two! By surrendering to Jesus the sin and the selfishness and whatever binds us, we become free to live and love more like Jesus. The Lord has really been making this clear to me in prayer – it is not enough just to repent of sin and to avoid sin. Doing that only provides the environment for what comes next – to really live and love like Jesus. When living and loving like Him is our goal, that puts the rest into its proper perspective!
My friends, through repentance of our sins, we create the space within us to receive God’s grace to be more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, gentle, generous, faithful, and self-controlled – to bear more fruit in our lives! This coming week and beyond, many opportunities for the sacrament of Reconciliation will be available. You’re invited to come and encounter Jesus, our merciful Savior, who came not to condemn the world, but to save those who put their trust in Him. God bless you.
(Father Marcoe is the pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Danville.)
By Father Timothy Marcoe, Special to The Witness
