When Jesus forgives, He does not condemn. He does not remember. He makes all things new.

The Gospel tells of the account of the woman caught in the act of adultery.  This Gospel is one of the most graphic Gospel accounts of the mercy of Jesus that leads to new life.  The take-home message for us is that this Gospel story is not about adultery.  It is about forgiveness -- God’s forgiveness.

The Lenten season calls us to repentance.  This has been the theme of our journey of forty days.  What is repentance?  Repentance is not something we do; but it is allowing the forgiving power of God to touch our lives and to lead us along new paths.

In this Johannine Gospel account, we actually have two trials going on at the same time.  The first and most important trial:  the prosecutors in the persons of the Pharisees are putting Jesus to the test  --  will Jesus uphold the Law of Moses  --  dealing the death penalty to adulterers or not?  It is Jesus who is on trial.  He is the enemy, the heretic, the threat to the Pharisees and scribes who consider themselves the holders of God’s prophecies and promises.  The trap is set to prove that Jesus is not who he claims to be.

It’s a “Catch 22 dilemma.”  If the Lord upholds capital punishment, the people will see him as unmerciful and hard-hearted.  If He sides with pardon or acquittal, the Pharisees will convict him of infidelity to the Law of Moses.  That’s one trial going on.

The second is that of the woman herself who has been dragged from her bed of infidelity and brought before this public trial.  Jesus has suddenly been called upon to be the acting judge of her case.  Jesus then bends down and began to write on the ground with his finger.  The silence of Jesus must have been deafening as the crowd waited for a verdict.  The scribes and Pharisees rattled on, persisting in their judgments and condemnations.  Then Jesus stands and utters those memorable words:  “Let the one among you who is without sin cast the first stone.”  Then he stooped and continued to write on the ground while beginning with the eldest, the wisest, the most experienced, one by one they walked away.

Then we hear the compassionate words of Jesus:  “Woman, where are they?  Has no one condemned you?”  She replied, “No one, sir.”  Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.  From now on, sin no more.”

We do not know this woman’s name, or what happened to her.  Though some have claimed that this woman was Mary Magdalene or even Mary of Bethany, there is really no evidence to identify her.  With certainty she is a distinct person with her own history and her own life; yet, she is also symbolic of every person who stands in need of compassion.  She is you, me, all of us.

Notice carefully the authority Jesus exercised.  He acted not as her judge.  He acted as her Savior.  Our God is not a God of condemnation.  Our God is a God of mercy and compassion.

Jesus did not wish that this woman be imprisoned by the mistakes of her past.  Our God is a God of second chances.  This Gospel is not too good to be true.  It is what we believe.

Can you imagine what your life or my life would be like if we were prisoners of the worst mistake we ever made?  Who of us can say that we have not done some dumb things in our life?  

Our God is not a God of condemnation.  He is a God of mercy and forgiveness and compassion.  This is what this gospel account is all about.  In contrast to the values of society, the Gospel proclaims the mercy of Jesus to save this woman and to enable her to turn her life toward a God of love.

Jesus did not claim that the woman did not sin, he simply does not condemn her for it  --- and even more Jesus saves her from self-righteous accusers.  Please God, may we in the name of Jesus never ever be the verbal equivalent of the stone-throwing scribes and Pharisees.  Rather, may we as the disciples of Jesus witness to God’s healing love in the lives of people.

When Jesus forgives, He does not condemn.  He does not remember.  He makes all things new.  He gives life when all seems dead.  He invites us to turn to Him with open hearts and pray with prophet Isaiah, the apostle Paul, and the anonymous woman of the Gospel:  “The Lord has done great things for me.  I am filled with joy.”

We go forward as forgiven sinners, as sons and daughters of a loving God, and as the disciples of Jesus.  Our God is a God of second chances.