Isaiah 43: 16-21, Philippians 3:8-14 John 8:1-11
The readings for the 5th Sunday in Lent invite us to reflect deeply on themes of renewal, mercy and our journey of faith. In today’s first reading the prophet Isaiah announces to them how Yahweh was about to work in their favour, wonders even greater than those of the past: he was about to lead them back home. The ‘new thing’ represents God’s promise of restoration. Just as God once led Israel through the Red Sea, He will now lead them through the desert of exile and provide miraculous sustenance. Even the wild animals acknowledge God’s provision, signifying the cosmic impact of God’s action. The imagery of rivers in the desert is both literal (God providing for the exiles) and metaphorical (spiritual renewal and blessing). The ultimate reason for this deliverance is that Israel may declare (God’s) praise, “this aligns with Israel’s covenantal role as a witness to the nations” (Isaiah 42:6).
The return of the Jews to their land from exile was a wonderful experience, but far more wonderful was the way Yahweh brought them spiritually back to Himself whom they had often abandoned during the years of exile. Lent is a time to return to God and to the joy of God’s friendship. Let no one think this to be a simple task: we would be amazed if we could measure the wisdom, power and love that God displays in bringing a single person to repentance. At the threshold of Holy Week, the Lord longs to display the wonder of His mercy in each of us.
The Gospel passage of today is taken from the gospel of John chapter 8. The story of the Gospel goes like this, it was early morning Jesus had just arrived either from Gethsemane or from Bethany, where he had spent the night. He sat on a low stool in one of the temple porticoes and was instructing the people, the crowd of listeners gathered around Him, when the elders dragged the woman In front of Him. Their real motive is not Justice but to trap Jesus. If He condones stoning, He risks Roman punishment (since only Romans had the authority to execute John 18:31), if He spares her, they can accuse Him of breaking the Mosaic Law. Instead of giving a reply, Jesus bent down and started writing on the ground with His finger. This act of writing in the dirt is mysterious. Possible interpretation includes:
: listing the sins of the accusers (Jeremiah 17:13) ‘those who turn away…….their names shall be written in the dust’.
: symbolizing divine authority…..similar to God writing the law on stone tablets (exodus 31:18)
: a delaying tactic to allow tension to rise before He speaks.
Jesus challenges them saying, “let him who is without sin cast the first stone”, shifts the focus from the woman’s guilt to the accuser’s own sinfulness. The phrase does not nullify the law but highlights that judgment should come from those who are truly righteous. The accusers leave one by one beginning with the eldest possibly indicating wisdom, greater self-awareness, or more sins to recall. Jesus does not condone sin but offers grace and call to transformation. ‘Neither do I condemn you’ Jesus offers mercy innated with legalistic punishment. ‘Go and sin no more’ Jesus does not excuse her sin but calls her to repentance and renewal.
So, what message we can draw from this passage:
We should show compassion over condemnation: Jesus exemplifies compassion instead of judgement. In our interaction with others, we should strive to offer understanding and kindness rather than quick condemnation, recognizing that every one has struggles.
We should also have self-reflection before judgement. When the Pharisees brought the woman to Jesus, He challenged them by asking who was without sin, this teaches us to reflect on our own flaws before pointing out the faults in others. We are all imperfect and in need of grace.