GO AND SIN NO MORE! (Homily for March 13, 2016. Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year C)


Bible Study: Isaiah 43, 16 to 21. Philippians 3, 8 to 14. And John 8, 1 to 11.


Last Sunday, we read the story of the Prodigal Son. If you remember, we pointed out that both the younger son and the elder brother had the same problem. They were tired of being in the father’s house. The elder brother did not join in the welcome-back-party because he felt cheated, he did not see the need to celebrate the return of one who was dead and had come back to life. For him, this guy deserves to be punished because he had simply gone out to enjoy himself.

Today’s readings somehow continues from there. However this time around, it was not the younger brother that returned to the father, the elder brother (in the person of the Scribes and Pharisees) arrested him and in chains and brought him to Jesus for approval of the death sentence. Unfortunately for them, they did not realise that Jesus himself knew the contents their hearts. He knew they had only brought the woman as a test and by his response, he silenced them.

In the first place, it is interesting to note that these Scribes and Pharisees were so clearly unjust in their interpretation of the Law given by Moses. What exactly did Moses write? Please if you have a Bible, open to Leviticus 20, verse 10: “If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbour, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death.” Moses never said that ONLY the woman should be stoned. In fact, if you read the whole of the over 600 laws written by Moses in the Old Testament, there is no place where did Moses ever said the woman alone should be stoned for adultery.

In Deuteronomy 17, 2 to 5, Moses wrote: “If there is found among you, within any of your towns which the LORD your God gives you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of the LORD your God, in transgressing his covenant,… then you shall bring forth to your gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you shall stone that man or woman to death with stones. Again in Deuteronomy 22, 23 to 24, Moses writes: “If there is a betrothed virgin, and a man meets her in the city and lies with her, then you shall bring them BOTH out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones…”

One would wonder, does a woman commit adultery with herself? So, why did these men who claimed to have caught a woman in the act bring her to Jesus leaving out the man involved? Why were they willing to stone her to death while the man walks freely? This tells us something of the place of women in that society and it is sad to say that despite our present day civilisation, mankind continues to oppress women and treat them with lesser dignity than men.

These Scribes and Pharisees not only lied against Moses, they misinterpreted the Law and were willing to throw stones against a woman forgetting they were not saints either. This simply tells us how blind we become in our attempt to condemn other people. It always baffles me how easily we see the specks in other people’s eyes and never notice the logs in our own eyes. Matthew 7, 4 to 5, Jesus asked: “How can you say to your brother, “Let me take the speck out of your eye,” when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” Why is that it is so difficult to examine our own conscience but we are busy all day analysing, judging and dissecting other people?

It is so bad that some people even come to confession and go about mentioning the sins of others while painting themselves as sinless and spotless. To really teach these unjust Scribes and Pharisees a lesson, Jesus said “Let him who has not sinned be the first to cast a stone at her.” This was a moment of truth! For the first time in their entire lives, they were forced to do an examination of conscience and we are told that beginning with the oldest, they dropped their stones one by one and walked away. Note that Jesus did not say, “Let him who has never committed adultery…” No. He said, “Let him who has never sinned at all…”  

Dear friends, the only condition in which we are free to condemn anyone or discuss their sins is that we ourselves must be completely sinless! In other words, so long as we sin whether consciously or unconsciously, we are not permitted to judge anyone. It is surprising that Jesus himself who was obviously the only person there without sin did not cast a stone at the woman. He asked the woman: “Where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go and do not sin again.”

Dear friends, the essence of being a Christian is according to St. Paul is simply to strive for perfection. It is not a matter of pointing accusing fingers at others. Even St. Paul acknowledges that we cannot be perfect based on our own efforts alone, so the perfection he sought after is that which is based on Faith; a perfection that seeks to replicate the sufferings of Christ on the cross. “All I want is to know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. … Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3, 10 to 14.

In our struggle for perfection, we are to run like athletes. Have you ever seen an athlete looking back while on a race? Impossible! Instead he or she keeps looking forward, with eyes on the prize and with a mind aiming for the finish line. As Christians we are meant to notice only those ahead of us on the race, those we consider to be our mentors; those who are doing well. It is not our business to look back or try to condemn or correct those we consider to be worse than we are, because by so doing, we pass judgment.

Even in our own personal lives, we are to remain focused on what lies ahead and not get fixated on our past. As God speaks to us through the prophet Isaiah in today’s first reading, there is just no need to recall the past. “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.  Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43, 18 to 19.

Each of us here has a past. There is no one who has never sinned before. But today, God is saying to us, FORGET THE PAST; BEGIN A NEW LIFE. You may see yourself as a desert, God is saying, I will make rivers flow from you. You may have gone deep in sin, yet God is saying: “my child, your past is past, you can become a Saint.” The God who called a murderer and changed his name from Saul to Paul is still alive and that is the God we serve. Go and Sin No More!

Let us Pray:
Lord Jesus, here I am alone with you, no one has condemned me. Give me the courage to cut off my ties with the past, the wisdom to leave sin behind and to strive for perfection. Amen.


God bless you. Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. Happy Sunday.

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