Fifth Sunday of Lent- God’s Justice

The story of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery is sometimes considered as a put-down of the scribes and Pharisees. While their motive for bringing the woman to Jesus was to test him, they were technically trying to uphold the law. But they were hoping to get Jesus to cause a scandal by refuting the law, or, if he upheld the law, the woman would be killed with Jesus’ approval. Jesus had a better idea. He shows that God’s justice is mercy and forgiveness. When he told them that the one without sin could be first to throw a stone, he knew that they all were sinners one way or another. And a sinner could not judge another sinner. He also knew that someone whose sins were forgiven would be willing to forgive the woman. That’s what St. Paul means in the second reading when he says he did not have “any righteousness of my own based on the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ” (Philippians 3:9). He says he has given up the idea of making himself righteous (right with God) by keeping the laws of his people. Now he depends on his faith in Christ and Christ’s forgiveness, which was shown in his death and resurrection. He is even willing to follow Christ in suffering and eventually death, so that he too can share the Resurrection. Why did Paul come to this kind of faith? Because he had been forgiven for persecuting Christians. And he had persecuted them, not because he was evil, but because he thought he was keeping the law.

Jesus probably surprised the woman when he let her go. He was the only one who could have judged her, but he chose to forgive. Just as the woman was changed by the mercy of Christ, Paul too was affected by being forgiven by the One whom he was persecuting (Acts 9:4). So is keeping the law a bad thing? No, but the important thing is why we keep the law. We can do it like the Pharisees—keeping the law as a status symbol:  “I’m too good (or too important) to break the law.” Or we can choose to follow Jesus’ way of love. Then we still keep the laws and commandments, only because they are examples of how to love God and love each other. For we too have been forgiven by Jesus on the cross.  As we approach Holy Week, let us remember how much Jesus has done for us.

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