WORD OF LIFE for MARCH 1998
"Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."
(Jn 8:7)
While Jesus was teaching in the temple, the Scribes and Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught committing adultery. They said to Jesus, "Moses has ordered us in the Law to condemn women like this to death by stoning. What have you to say?" (Jn 8:5).
With this question they wanted to set a trap for him. In fact, if Jesus had spoken against the stoning, they could have accused him of going against the law. For according to the law, actual witnesses were to begin throwing stones at the one who had sinned, and then the people were to follow in turn. If, instead, Jesus had confirmed the death sentence, they would have succeeded in making him contradict his own teaching about God’s mercy toward sinners.
But Jesus who, unperturbed, was bent down writing on the ground with his finger, finally straightened up and said:
"Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."
When they heard this, one by one the accusers went away, beginning with the eldest. Jesus then turne to the woman and asked, "Where are they? Has no one condemned you?" "No one, sir," she replied. "Neither do I condemn you," said Jesus. "Go, and from now on do not sin any more" (cf. Jn 8:10-11).
"Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."
With these words, Jesus certainly does not wish to appear permissive with regard to wrongdoing, such as adultery. His words, "Go, and from now on do not sin any more," clearly express God’s commandment.
Rather Jesus wishes to unmask the hypocrisy of those who set themselves up as judges of their fellow human beings who have sinned, without recognizing that they themselves are sinners. His words here emphasize the well-known command: "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; because the judgments you give are the judgments you will get" (Mt 7:1-2).
Speaking in this way, Jesus addresses himself to those who condemn others without allowing them the possibility of appeal, without taking into account that the wrongdoer may repent. This clearly shows what Jesus’ attitude is towards one who has done wrong: he is merciful. St. Augustine wrote, "When the accusers of the adulteress had gone away, two persons remained: one in need of mercy and the other Mercy itself."1
"Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."
How can we put this word of life into practice?
In all our dealings with others, let us remember that we, too, are sinners. All of us have sinned; and even if we feel that we ourselves have not done anything seriously wrong, we must bear in mind that we may not know just how strongly circumstances have influenced others, causing them to fall and to stray far from God. We do not know how we would have acted had we been in their place.
In any case, we, too, at times have broken the bond of love which was meant to unite us to God. We have been unfaithful to him.
If Jesus, who was certainly without sin, did not throw the first stone at the adulteress, neither can we condemn others. We should show compassion toward everyone, resisting those impulses that drive us to condemn others without mercy. We need to learn how to forgive and forget. And to not harbor traces of judgment or resentment in our hearts since these can easily give rise to anger and hatred which alienate us from others. Let us see every person "new" in every moment.
If our hearts are filled with love and mercy towards all, rather than judgment and condemnation, we will help others to begin a new life, to find the courage to start again.
Chiara Lubich
1. Comment on the Gospel of John 33:5.
The commentary to the Word of Life is translated in 90 different languages and dialects, and reaches more than 14 million people worldwide, through the press, and radio and TV programs
If you would like to read experiences of life related to this or to past "Words of Life," they can be found in Living City magazine, the monthly publication of the Focolare Movement. For information or to subscribe, write to: Living City, P.O. Box 837, Bronx, NY 10465. A book, From Scripture to Life, containing Words of Life with commentary by Chiara Lubich and related experiences of life is available through New City Press, the publishing house of the Focolare, 202 Cardinal Road, Hyde Park, NY 12538. To order the book or magazine call 1-800-462-5980. E-mail: ncporder@aol.com
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