Jesus’ words to the woman are comforting: “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
Especially now, before Easter, before the greatest feast of our faith, the feast of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, it is helpful to examine our hearts and ask ourselves. “Am I not also guilty here or there?”
Devotional 5th Sunday of Lent
Jesus said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. (full text at John 8:1-11)
We are Sinners
We are all sinful people, and we all need God’s forgiveness.
Every sin Jesus carried up to Golgotha, on the mountain of his death, his crucifixion. Only by walking the way of the cross with Jesus can we also celebrate the Resurrection with him.
Devotional for every day here: Daily Devotional
Where have we sinned? When we hear the words of Jesus, we will understand: “Let he who is without sin among you cast the first stone.”
At that moment, God probably drastically showed the scribes their state of the soul. They suddenly realized that they were also sinful and were ashamed they slunk away.
But why do we see only the sins of others and judge? I think we sometimes need those sins of others to put ourselves in a better light and look good.
But let’s take the Gospel statement seriously: judge not, lest you be judged.
And the second is forgiveness: forgive! Can we also forgive? Am I also ready to allow the other person to start over?
It is crucial and essential to learn that we do not judge and condemn, but we should ultimately leave it up to God. He is the merciful judge of the living and the dead.
Let us not take that from Him and not put ourselves in God’s place. He knows everything – how it came about that she broke the marriage. And he still knows the other difficulties that she may have had. These are all questions we do not know; only God knows, and He will make a just judgment.
He also knows her repentance and also her love for God. He knows to what extent she consented to adultery, and her freedom was unaffected. So let us beware of judging. God will judge righteously one day.
Prayer for Today
Praise be to You, Heavenly Father, for Jesus, who showed us how merciful You are. You teach us not to condemn one another but to live together and create good in this world.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, who satisfies our longing for happiness, love, and peace. You alone are the goal of our desires here and now, even more so at the end of our earthly time. You give us true joy.
Today, You are building your Kingdom with us here on earth and giving us salvation and healing. One day we will find fullness with You in your Kingdom of Heaven. We thank You for the Church, where we already feel a little of the community to which You will one day call us all. God, we praise You who are with us, carry us, and are even present in us. We praise You today and all the days of our lives. Amen.
