Choose Mercy
As we draw closer to commemorating the events of Holy Week, we are confronted this weekend with a story that encapsulates what Jesus had spent three years trying to teach his disciples: the importance of mercy and compassion over judgment. He emphasized the overall Mosaic Law, which taught that justice was to be tempered with mercy (Micah 6:8), and which the religious leaders of the day had conveniently forgotten. It was common practice that if a person was accused of a serious crime such as blasphemy or adultery, there had to be a trial with statements from two eyewitnesses along with the aggrieved husband. We hear nothing of this occurring in the Gospel reading. We might call it a 'rush to judgment' to ensnare Jesus in his response to their question about her punishment. The Law also provided for the exercise of mercy since the eyewitnesses and the husband had the power to demonstrate mercy rather than punishment.
In this New Testament story, we are presented with different responses, and Jesus asks us today where we fit in. Let's take a closer look.
First, we have onlookers who perhaps love to participate in gossip and join the negative conversation concerning a person's supposed actions. Have we ever done similarly in our lives? It takes courage to disagree with the crowd. On the other hand, are we like the Pharisees who thought of themselves as paragons of virtue beyond reproach?
And then we have Jesus, who, unlike these religious leaders, sees only the humiliation and embarrassment of the victim and comes to her defense. Do our hearts exude this type of compassion? Jesus's attention is primarily focused on the woman as he stoops down to respond to their allegations by writing on the ground. (By the way, stooping down to a “mere woman” in those days by a man was considered demeaning.) But this Son of God is only interested in the acceptance of a sincere penitent. We can conjecture what he wrote, but all we know is that whatever he wrote caused the crowd to dissipate when he said, "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." (John 8:7) When everyone had left, Jesus, who had every right to judge this woman simply and lovingly tells her to go and live a better life.
Two weeks later he would re-emphasize the importance of mercy when as an innocent victim himself, he said from the cross, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34) A reminder to all of us who might experience injustice is that ignorance of a situation can blind us mere humans to make false and cruel judgments.
Perhaps for the next two weeks when we are tempted to criticize, grumble, or complain about any person, group, or situation, our eyes might focus on this stone and remember the words of Jesus, "Whoever is without sin be the first to cast a stone." And when we have a choice between judgment and mercy, choose mercy.
– Sister Helen R. Boyd, OP
Sister Helen resides in Dominican Convent where she serves
on the Life Enrichment Committee and co-chairs the
Mission Outreach Committee