The Gospel from Monday, the fifth week in Lent, is taken from St. John. Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area. And all the people started coming to him. And he sat down and taught them.

Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him, teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now, in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. So what do you say? They said this to test him, so they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.

But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her. Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. In response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?

Replied, no one, sir. And Jesus said, neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on, do not sin anymore. This story is very important for us to understand who Jesus is. He’s very unlike the religion at that time which was interested in condemning people for their sins, even taking life away from them if they sinned. Now Jesus is interested in revealing to someone their sin.

And the genius of this reading, the way Jesus worked, is that it’s exposing the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. So not only does he not condemn the woman, but he opens the eyes of those who are sinning. It’s the power of forgiveness, and we need to follow it. Foreign the closing prayer. Father, please bless us with the gift that is the heart of your ministry. Help us to grow a forgiving heart and only take joy in opening people’s minds to who they are, never to condemn who they are.

And we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.