Go and Do Not Sin Anymore: Reflections on the Readings for the Fifth Sunday of Lent, Cycle C

Isaiah 43:16-21
Psalm 126
Philippians 3:8-14
John 8:1-11

Living water. Jesus. Something new but promised of old. The past is just that, the past. St. Mother Theresa of Calcutta has been credited with saying, “yesterday is gone, tomorrow has not yet come, we have only today. Let us begin.” All of these themes can be found in today’s readings.

Isaiah gives a quick summary of the destruction of Egypt’s army during the Exodus during which God opened a way in the sea. The powerful army was “quenched like a wick.” He then says don’t dwell on what has gone before. “Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not.”

The reason is that God is doing something new, also likely relating to the Exodus, with water in the desert. This was done for God’s chosen people that they might announce His praise. God is always doing something new in our lives. It is part of our need for continuous conversion.

In some ways this could also be seen to relate to Jesus, who is the living water, poured out in the desert of our sin. Think of the encounter of Jesus with the Samaritan woman (John 4:4-32, 7:37-39) during which Jesus identified Himself as living water. Jesus is the way to new life, through Whom we, along with the wild beasts (i.e., God’s creation), can honor the Lord God. God formed us and this passage alludes to St. Augustine’s statement, “Thou movest us to delight in praising Thee, for thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee.”

The great things the Lord has done for us fills us with joy. If we acknowledge God’s love for us, shown through His great works, and especially for our salvation through Jesus Christ, we will be like the captives brought back after the Babylonian exile. The psalmist notes that the LORD brought back the captives. This is because the Lord will never completely abandon us. He is always seeking the lost and calling them back to Him.

Through salvation our fortunes will be restored. These are spiritual fortunes. We have salvation in Jesus and through the sacrament of Penance. Imagine the greatness of being able to be forgiven for our trespasses against our neighbor, ourselves, and, especially, our God. In this way we will be glad indeed. If we work with God, even though we sow in tears, we will rejoice in the harvest.

There is nothing better than knowing Jesus. This is the point of St. Paul’s message in the letter to the Philippians. Everything else is meaningless in comparison, “so much rubbish.” Paul tells us that he gave up everything in becoming knowledgeable of Jesus. He had no righteousness on his own or through the law but “through faith in Christ, [he received] the righteousness from God.” Through faith he acknowledges salvific suffering with Christ, that he may “by being conformed to his death, ... somehow ... may attain the resurrection from the dead.”

Note Paul’s comment that he had not yet achieved “perfect maturity,” but he continues his “pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus.” Striving for Heaven. This message often gets overlooked as the call to conversion is often downplayed by a “come as you are” attitude (see Catechism on daily conversion, 1427, 1435, 1436, 1888, et al.). Paul is telling us that conversion is a life-long process and even then we may not reach perfection. We will be judged by our progress and how hard we try. “God does not judge [a man] on the raw material at all, but on what he has done with it.” (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity)

And speaking of conversion, the verse before the gospel is “Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart; for I am gracious and merciful.” (Joel 2:12-13) It is through conversion (returning to God) that we may obtain His mercy.

The gospel reading ends with the same message of conversion. This is another somewhat familiar event concerning the woman caught in adultery. The scribes and Pharisees were trying to entrap Jesus as they tried on other occasions. They challenged Him to pass judgment on the woman based on the law, “Moses commanded us to stone such women.” If He ordered them to stone her, they could make a case against Him because, according to the Roman law, only the Roman governor could impose a sentence of death. Similarly, if He said they should let her go, then they could charge Him with violating the Law of Moses.

Jesus delayed (letting them stew a little), writing on the ground with His finger, while they pressed Him to answer. Finally He stood up and told them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Interestingly, in the Mosaic Law when such a punishment is to be imposed, the ones to throw the first stones were to be the accuser/witnesses. The question that always comes up is what about the man? It takes two to commit adultery. Possibly he was among the crowd, although the woman did not point him out, but just stood there.

Bishop Sheen, in Life of Christ, explains this situation thus: “Our Lord would not destroy the Mosaic Law, but perfect it by enunciating a higher Law: none but the pure may judge! He was summoning a new jury; only the innocent may condemn! ... Those who have guilt on their souls must withhold judgment.” In the face of perfection sinfulness is difficult to deny, even for those who are evil. “In the presence of Divinity, no one can be sure of his innocence.” (Life of Christ)

Jesus then asks the woman “Has no one condemned you?” The line everyone remembers comes next, “Neither do I condemn you.” The command to be converted, often overlooked follows, “Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”

And that is the message of Lent. The real message of Lent is conversion, along with repentance and reconciliation (both part of the conversion process), whereby we can know and seek God’s mercy. Looking back on the many readings the Church has selected for Lent it is easy to see the consistency of this message. It has always been God’s message, in the Old Testament as well as the new.

“Return, Israel, to the LORD, your God; you have stumbled because of your iniquity.” (Hosea 14:2)

“Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17)