Vigils Reading – 5th Sunday of Lent

IT IS SIN HE CONDEMNS,

NOT PEOPLE

From a commentary by St Augustine

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The scribes and Pharisees brought to him a woman who had been

caught committing adultery. Now the penalty of the law for adultery was

stoning. It was, of course, unthinkable that any of the prescriptions of the law

could be unjust, so it followed that anyone whose teachings contravened what

the law required would lay himself open to the charge of advocating injustice.

The Lord’s enemies accordingly said to themselves: “He has a reputation

for truth and is regarded as a man of great kindness and forbearance, so we

must find a pretext for accusing him on the grounds of injustice. Let us confront

him with a woman caught committing adultery, and quote the ruling of the law

in her regard. If he orders her to be stoned, he will lose his name for clemency; if

he tells us to release her, he will not be upholding justice. There is little doubt

that he will sway she must be freed, in order not to lose the reputation which has

made him so popular. That will be our chance to incriminate him and find him

guilty of an offense against the law. We shall be able to say: ‘You are an enemy

of the law! Your answer is not merely an attack on Moses but on God who gave

the law to Moses. You have made yourself liable to the death penalty. You and

the woman should both be stoned.’” By voicing such opinions the Lord’s

enemies might be able to enflame popular feelings against him; they might

incite the crowds to denounce him and demand his condemnation.

But look at the way our Lord’s answer upheld justice without forgoing

clemency. He was not caught in the snare his enemies had laid for him; it was

they themselves who were caught in it. He did not say the woman should not be

stoned, for then it would look as though he were opposing the law. But he had no

intention of saying: “Let her be stoned,” because he came not to destroy those he

found but to seek those who were lost. Mark his reply. It contains justice,

clemency and truth in full measure. Let the one among you who has never

sinned be the first to throw a stone at her. Let the sinner be punished, yes – but

not be sinners. Let the law be carried out, but not by lawbreakers.

This, unquestionably, is the voice of justice, justice that pierced those men

like a javelin. Looking into themselves, they realized their guilt, and one by one

they all went out. Two remained behind: the miserable woman, and Mercy. The

Lord raised his eyes, and with a gentle look he asked her: Has no one

condemned you? She replied: No one, sir. And he said: Neither will I condemn

you. What is this, Lord? Are you giving approval to immorality? Not at all. Take

note of what follows: Go and sin no more.

You see then that the Lord does indeed pass sentence, but it is sin he

condemns, not people. One who approved of immorality would have said:

“Neither will I condemn you. Go and live as you please; you can be sure that I

will acquit you. However much you sin, I will release you from all penalty, and

from the tortures of hell and the underworld.” He did not say that. He said:

“Neither will I condemn you; you need have no fear of the past, but beware of

what you do in the future. Neither will I condemn you: I have blotted out what

you have done; now observe what I have commanded, in order to obtain what I

have promised.”