John 8:1-11

Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 or Daniel 13:41c-62

Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6

John 8:1-11

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, 

and all the people started coming to him, 

and he sat down and taught them.

Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman 

who had been caught in adultery 

and made her stand in the middle.

They said to him,

“Teacher, this woman was caught 

in the very act of committing adultery.

Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.

So what do you say?”

They said this to test him,

so that they could have some charge to bring against him.

Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.

But when they continued asking him,

he straightened up and said to them,

“Let the one among you who is without sin 

be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.

And in response, they went away one by one,

beginning with the elders.

So he was left alone with the woman before him.

Then Jesus straightened up and said to her,

“Woman, where are they?

Has no one condemned you?”

She replied, “No one, sir.”

Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.

Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, sin drives a wedge between us. Why am I so quick to condemn others but remain blind to my own faults and failings? Never let me be separated from you by sin and help me learn to be merciful and compassionate toward my brothers and sisters in need of forgiveness.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Susanna and the Wicked Old Men: The intention of the scribes and Pharisees in bringing the woman caught in adultery before Jesus was to test him. They had little concern for the woman and her fate; they sought only to trap Jesus in a difficult dilemma. Like the question about paying taxes to Caesar, the question of punishing the adulteress could not be answered with a simple yes or no. If Jesus says no, his doctrine of God’s merciful love would seem to violate the Law of Moses; if he says yes, then he would be inconsistent with his message of mercy toward sinners. Jesus uses the opportunity to bring the old Law of Moses to its fulfillment and expose the self-righteousness of the Pharisees, who were not without sin. The case of Susanna also represents a dilemma. If she acquiesces to the evil intentions of the old men and does not cry for help, the old men will have their way with her and she will have no way of accusing them; if she does cry out, they will act as two witnesses and will falsely accuse her of adultery. Susanna chooses to cry for help, for she trusts in the Lord. Today’s psalm is her prayer: “Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you, O Lord, are at my side.”

2. The Adulteress and the Corrupt Pharisees: There are several parallels between the episode of Susanna and that of the woman caught in adultery. In the Old Testament, Susanna is accused (falsely) of adultery by two elders of the people. In the New Testament, a woman is accused of adultery by the scribes and Pharisees, the elders of the people of Israel. The old men are wicked because they are slaves to lust and men of deceit. The scribes and the Pharisees boast of their self-righteousness and try to deceive Jesus into a trap. In the Old Testament, Daniel, stirred by the Holy Spirit, uncovers the lie of the wicked men, and Susanna’s innocent blood is spared. In the New Testament, Jesus uncovers the false intentions of the scribes and Pharisees, and the woman is forgiven and spared.

3. Jesus and Sin: Jesus does not condone the sin of adultery or make light of it. He is fully aware of how this sin destroys the spousal covenant and creates division in the family. The verse before the Gospel sheds light on Jesus’ intention: “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord, but rather in his conversion, that he may live” (Ezekiel 33:11). The hearts of the old, wicked men were corrupt and had no place for God. The heart of the adulteress, though wounded by sin, was open to God’s mercy. The old men remained in their sin; the adulteress was released from sin.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you look with love upon those in need. You gently heal the wounded hearts of sinners and soften the hardened hearts of the proud. If my soul is wounded by sin, heal me. If my soul is hardened by pride, soften it.

Living the Word of God: What will we choose as we approach Holy Week? Will we harden our hearts, like the old men, to God’s love and choose sin over life or will we open our hearts, like the adulteress, to God’s love and choose life over sin? Will we be like the old men and persist in deceit or will we be like Daniel and testify to the truth? Will we imitate the unmerciful Pharisees or will strive to follow Jesus and imitate the mercy of God?