To cast the first stone

Monday, April 03, 2017
5th Week of Lent
1st Reading: Dn 13:1–9, 15–17, 19–30, 33–62*
Gospel: Jn 8:1–11
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.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
When we point a finger at somebody, there are three fingers pointing at us, namely, the smallest (called pinky finger), the ring finger, and the tallest finger. What about the thumb that’s neither pointing at us nor at the person we are accusing? Could it be pointing at our co-accusers? When we judge somebody the judgment is on us and on our cohorts.
The sinful woman in today’s Gospel reading was already prejudged when brought to Jesus. Her accusers were armed with the Jewish tradition establishing the guilt of a person by the accusation of two witnesses. Fingers were pointed like arrows at the woman as she stood before Jesus. The charge was serious because adultery was a major crime. The case was strong because she was caught in the act. To them Jesus had no choice but confirm the guilty verdict.
But compassion always finds a way. We do not know what Jesus scribbled on the ground with his finger. But the picture of him bowing low and touching the ground with his pointer finger sends a strong message to righteous people. Even righteous ones came from dust and to dust they too shall return. The high esteem that righteous people have of themselves is only as good as their dusty origins. Bowing low and scribbling something on the ground was perhaps Jesus’ way of inviting the woman’s accusers to stay grounded and so feel compassion for her.
They turned their backs and left, not out of compassion for the woman but out of fear that Jesus might jot down on the ground all the sins they did in secret…., with his pointer finger! – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., D.M.

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