Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent
April 11, 2011
To see the readings, click here:
http://www.usccb.org/nab/041111.shtml
It hardly seems fair to have put two such good readings on the same day! I just love the reading from Daniel -- it is such an engaging story. Susanna shows great faith and integrity, choosing to do what is right even when it looks like doing the wrong thing would end up better for her. And then Daniel comes forward with great wisdom and catches the bad guys in their lies, and ultimately Susanna is spared. There's a lot that could be said about the examples both of them set. I always think, when I read this, that I sure hope I would have the strength of Susanna if put in such a difficult situation. I don't think any of us really know until we face it.
But I think I'm going to have to turn my main attention to the story from the gospel reading. It is the famous story of the woman caught in adultery, who is brought to be stoned. They ask Jesus about it, and he says “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” This was such a clever answer. It didn't in any way suggest that Jesus was trying to overthrow the law that said she should be stoned, and yet it put the religious leaders in a position that they couldn't really move forward, either. Like Daniel in the first reading, he was very cunning. In fact, throughout the final days we see this side of Jesus: walking a fine line so that he highlights how far off course the religious leaders of the day were, without saying anything that could actually give them grounds to arrest him.
And after the crowd slowly filters away, convicted by their own consciences, Jesus establishes that no one is left to condemn her and adds “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.” Such gentle, kind words. It's not that he doesn't acknowledge her sin; it's just that he releases her from it. That's how I believe he deals with each of us, too. He knows all our sins, knows the punishment we deserve, and chooses to release us from it. All he asks is that we go and try to do better.
Superficially, you could say that both these readings are about potential stonings. Not an insignificant topic, since in that part of the world that form of punishment is still practiced today. But from the perspective of the church, I think it is more important that both stories are about redemption. Susanna is redeemed because she really made the right choice and would have died in innocence; the woman in John is redeemed from her sin by a word from Jesus. This is what I think the gospel is all about: no matter what we do, we are redeemed by the loving sacrifice of Jesus. All we ever have to do is open our heart to accept what is already given.
On a side note, I thought this was interesting: I wrote my journal on yesterday's readings that I know some people think life after death is the main point of our faith, whereas I tend to focus more on the difference it makes in our lives here and now. Then when I heard a sermon on those readings in church, my pastor talked about life after death in terms of how we all face many "death"s -- not just the literal one at the end of our life, but the death of a relationship, the loss of a job, the alienation of a family member, things like that. I thought it was interesting to use the language of "death" to describe those life situations -- it seemed to really marry the concept of life after death with the idea of life lived more fully. I felt somehow affirmed by that.
Oh God, we thank you so much for redeeming us all. Like the woman in the gospel reading, we have sinned and we know it. Thank you for speaking a kind word to us and releasing us from our sins. Pour out you Spirit upon us so that we can be stronger and sin less as we move forward. Help us to keep our eyes on you and your example, and to do all that we can to repay your gracious gift. Thank you for bringing us this far on the Lenten journey and help us to hear your voice and know where you would lead us for the rest. Help us to be ready to receive the Easter miracle anew when the time comes. Amen
