5TH SUNDAY IN LENT (C)

“Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”

Jn 8: 1-11

He(Jesus) sat down and taught them.

Rabbis sat down while teaching his disciples. The Pope, too, is seated when he teaches the Catholic faithful.
Therefore the chair has become is a symbol of authority. In Latin, chair is “cathedra”. When the Pope speaks “ex cathedra”, that is, from the chair, he speaks authoritatively. For the same reason the seat of the bishop is called a cathedral.

Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women (who commit adul-tery).

Adultery is one of the three crimes punishable by death but how this is to be done is not specified. However, a betrothed virgin who commits adultery is liable to stoning. This was what Mary could have been accused of when Joseph found her to be with child.

So what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him.

If Jesus said it was alright to stone the woman, they could go to the Romans and report him as inciting to murder. If he said that it was not alright to stone the woman, the scribes and Pharisees could go to the people and tell them that Jesus does not uphold the law of Moses.

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

This is the only time in the gospels when Jesus is reported to write.

Why did he bend down and write? Perhaps Jesus didn’t want to accept the position of judge.

What was Jesus writing? Some say he was just doodling. Others say that he was enumerating the sins of the woman’s accusers.

Why did he write on the ground? Whatever one writes on the ground can eas-ily be blotted out. Even the sin of adultery can be forgiven.

“Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

The first stone is supposed to be cast by the witness.

Jesus was telling the scribes and Pharisees that they too are sinners. He was also telling them that only the sinless can mete out punishment. Since Jesus will not do it, they, too, cannot do it.

And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders.

The elders were members of the Sanhedrin, the highest religious governing body of the Jews.

Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”

To condemn means to pass sentence (punishment) when a judge finds someone guilty.

The woman was guilty but Jesus was giving her another chance. He tells her to sin no more.