Today’s Reflection
Gospel: John 8:1-11
April 3, 2022 | Sunday

Today’s Gospel

As for Jesus, he went to the Mount of Olives.

At daybreak Jesus appeared in the temple again. All the people came to him, and he sat down and began to teach them.

Then the teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They made her stand in front of everyone. “Master,” they said, “this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now the law of Moses orders that such women be stoned to death; but you, what do you say?” They said this to test Jesus, in order to have some charge against him.

Jesus bent down and started writing on the ground with his finger. And as they continued to ask him, he straightened up and said to them,“ Let anyone among you who has no sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” And he bent down, again, writing on the ground.

As a result of these words, they went away, one by one, starting with the elders, and Jesus was left alone, with the woman standing before him. Then Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go away and don’t sin again.”

And they all went home.

Today’s Reflection:

The law of God was first given to Moses so that he may communicate it to Israel. This law was written by the fingers of God on two stone tablets (Ex. 31:18). Being written and handed through cold stones, there was an earlier understanding that its purpose was to smash those which God abhors – sin and infidelity. Thus, Moses destroyed the golden calf with it. Later, Israelites started stoning serious lawbreakers to death. But what if these stones have lives of their own and believe that their sole purpose is to smash sinners? This will result in quite a circus- stones being thrown everywhere by sinners who implicate their fellow sinners.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus’ gesture of writing on the ground may mean that the law was not intended to remain on stone tablets, but to be re-written in the hearts of humans who originated from dust and clay. Smashing sin (not sinners) and everything God abhors is not its only purpose, but it also serves as a solid foundation and support for sinners to perform what God loves. Therefore, the divine law functions as a manual for God’s children for understanding God’s heart. /Vulnerasti, 2022