Wicked men confront the Righteous One

Fifth Sunday of Lent, April 3, 2022               (click here for today’s scriptures)

Wicked men confront the Righteous One

Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart; for I am gracious and merciful. Rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to me.

And Jesus goes to the Mount of Olives to pray, rend his heart, knowing his Father’s grace, mercy and peace. It won’t be long before the plots of his accusers force them to try again, try to trap him, try to arrest him, try to kill him.

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle of the temple area, in the middle of the crowd listening to the teachings of Jesus.

Here they go again. Jeremiah, unseen and invisible, leans against the wall behind Jesus and rolls his eyes. This time it’s a prostitute, supposedly caught in the act. The woman weeps, but mostly she ignores the bearded men behind her and turns toward Jesus.

In the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do YOU say?

Jesus wrote in the sand with his finger, ignoring them. They asked him again. So he stood, straightened up and looked at them.

Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her. And then again, he bent down and wrote on the ground.

The woman (shall we call her Mary?) no longer wept. She straightened her back. She closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them again. She stared straight at the crowd of bearded, robed, self-righteous men. She found eyes there, and looked into the eyes, and closed her mouth, and waited. She had expected stones, to be lying dead soon on the ground. But not now.

They went away, one by one, beginning with the elders. And then Jesus was left alone with the woman before him.

Jesus stood up. They looked at each other. As always seemed to happen, so near to Jesus the woman felt peace like she’d never known.

Woman, where are they?

They are gone, Lord. They have left me alone here. But no, not alone. You too are here, Jesus.

Has no one condemned you?

No one, sir.

Jesus smiled. Jesus rubbed out the words he’d written on the ground. He prepared to leave.

Then neither do I condemn you. Go and from now on do not sin any more.

And she turned and walked away. Jesus followed her. Jeremiah leaned against the wall, and smiled. He shakes his head. When will they ever learn?

(Isaiah 43, Psalm 126, Philippians 3, Joel 2, John 8)

(posted at www.davesandel.net)

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