JAVA/WITH/JOE
neither do i
This Sunday’s Gospel tells the familiar story of the woman caught in adultery.
The crowds surround her with stones in hand. They test Jesus, telling him how she broke the law and seeing if Jesus would vote to uphold the law. His response ‘failed’ their test.
“Let the one among you who is without sin
be the first to throw a stone at her.”
After the crowds drop their stones and leave, he has this exchange with the woman:
“Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
She replied, “No one, sir.”
Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.
Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”
Three things to take away from this, and to pray with leading up to Mass this Sunday:
Jesus often fails our ‘tests’, doesn’t meet our expectations, etc. And we should THANK HIM for that. His ways are better. Sometimes Him failing your tests allows Him to keep his promises.
Remember, He is good.
Jesus points out that the crowd has not condemned her, and says “Neither do I.” We should be reversing this and extending it to everyone we know. We should look at others, reflect on the fact that Jesus has not condemned them (or given up on them, turned on them, gossiped about them, etc), and say,
“Neither do I.”
Jesus wants us to ‘go and sin no more’. He has an abundant life planned for you, and sin is not part of it. He does not justify or ignore her sin. He redeems her, not so she can remain fallen in her sin, but so that she can rise out of it.
Let’s chat again next Wednesday.
Dom and Joe
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