5TH SUNDAY OF
LENT C
YEAR OF THE YOUTH
APRIL 7, 2019
Jesus, I trust in you!
The woman really deserved to die
because she was caught in the act of adultery which was punishable with death
by stoning. She was brought by the scribes and Pharisees to Jesus to test him.
Jesus said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to
throw a stone at her.” And in response, they went away one by one, leaving her
alone standing before Jesus. She could have taken that opportunity to run away
and escape death but she stood still before him. After all, the one who was
left behind had all the right to execute her because he is the sinless One.
Jesus, the Son of God, received from his Father the right to judge: “The Father
judges no one, but he has given all judgement to the Son so that all may honor
the Son just as they honor the Father.” (John 5:22-23) She did not escape
because she was guilty and deserved the punishment. She stood there and waited
for execution.
But Jesus asked her: “Woman, where
are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she replied. Jesus said:
“Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on, do not sin anymore.” Jesus had
the authority to judge but for that moment, he did not use that authority. The
sinless One refused to condemn the sinner. “For God sent not his Son into the
world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved.”
(John 3:17)
The Lord refused to condemn the
woman even though she deserved to be condemned. In like manner, he refuses to
condemn us who are all as guilty as the woman. Instead, he allowed himself to
be condemned to death. He, the sinless One, took upon himself the condemnation
we deserved. He let go of the stone which he could have used against us. He let
free his hand of the rock of condemnation so that he may embrace the Cross and be
crucified on it to atone for our sins. He took upon himself the heavy price of
death which our sins deserved. This he did to satisfy the demands of Divine
Justice so that he can be merciful to us. Forgiving our sins, the Lord puts
them behind us. He remembers not our past, the things of long ago. Instead, he
makes all things new. He makes a path in the desert. He tells us to “forget
what lies behind but strain forward to what lies ahead.” On the Cross, the Lord
makes all things new.
Thus, he tells us what he told the
adulterous woman: “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” He reminds us of
the executed Galileans and the 18 people who perished at the collapse of the
tower of Siloam and reminds us: “If you do not repent, you will perish as they
did.” He rejoices at our return to him as the Father rejoiced at the return of
his prodigal son. He rejoices to have us back safe and sound.
But from now on, do not sin anymore
because one day, he will come to judge the living and the dead. “(The Father)
gave him the power of judgment because he is the Son of Man…The hour is coming
in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out, those
who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done
wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation.” Let us repent while we can.
He will not condemn us. Let us not wait for our sins to accuse us. Let us turn
to him for the Lord says: “Even now, return to me with your whole heart; for I
am gracious and merciful.” (Joel 2: 2-3)
O Mary conceived without sin, pray
for us who have recourse to thee!
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