5th Sunday of Lent, Year C (April 6, 2025)

Today, we see how Divine Mercy changes not only the person forgiven, but also those who witness that forgiveness. But the Gospel today is from John, not Luke. Why? First, remember that unlike the three synoptic evangelists, John does not have a dedicated year in the three-year Cycle of Readings. The framers of the Lectionary chose to insert John’s Gospel from time to time when it is helpful in supporting certain teachings of Jesus during the course of the liturgical year. 

Having said that, many Scripture scholars agree that this particular passage, John 8:1-11, was not written by John the Evangelist but was inserted by a later editor around the third century – almost two hundred years after this Gospel was first proclaimed to the Johannine community. These ten verses have none of the characteristic features of John’s style or theology. That doesn’t detract from the Gospel, and the Church has always considered these verses as part of the inspired Word of God. Interestingly, this story is very much in keeping with Luke’s teaching of mercy, particularly his stories of the penitent woman or the woman cured of evil spirits. Hence, some scholars think today’s passage might be part of the Lucan material that was circulating around the time the New Testament canon was being finalized.

I don’t know if any of this exegetical background interests you, but it does bring us straight back to Luke. Today’s Gospel story from John is a terrific follow up to last Sunday’s Parable of the Prodigal Son.

The Pharisees brought [to Jesus] a woman who had been caught in adultery. They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”

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. And in response, they went away one by one.

So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, 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.”

It is unclear why Jesus wrote on the ground. Some of the early Church Fathers said that this action might hearken back to Jeremiah 17:13 where it says: “Those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth.” If so, it is an indirect reminder of the guilt of those condemning the woman. Like last week, the lesson here is that God’s mercy is bigger than our human inclination to pass judgment on others, as if we were God. Are we not all in need of mercy and forgiveness?