The theme of todays readings is ‘justice‘. God is just, we are told, but do we know what is God’s Justice? For us God’s justice is to do with punishment and paying the cost, that is a strict and totalitarian God meting out judgement on people for their actions. If this is the understanding through which we see God as being just, then we do not know God, because we have not encountered Him, nor have made the effort to know Him through scripture.
God who is all love, cannot gift us punishment, if that punishment will not reform us and help us see and understand His love for us and all humanity. So to put it differently, His justice is tempered with love for us, which shows us His compassion and mercy. The First reading’s story of Susanna, Daniel and the Two elders drives home the point of how God zealously guards our integrity and honour, and dispenses justice. Then there is the incident of Moses at the top of Mount Sinai, with God, when the Israelites sinned, which we read last week, and discovered how in His love and compassion, God had already created a shield (covenants), to protect Himself from destroying the Israelites for the Golden Calf incident. So also Israel, many a times after that had erred away from Yahweh, but God was always mindful, merciful, reconciliatory.
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus probably may have been writing the words Moses was required to proclaim as God passed by Him on the mountain, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin…” Exodus 34:6-7 (BibleGateway), or He may have even been writing the words Susanna and Daniel, we do not know. But Jesus’ intention is clear, He did not come to judge the people, because He as God is not interested in judgement. Yes He is interested in justice, justice which reunites God with His children. Even John the Baptist was startled at Jesus’ words of proclamation in Mark 1:14-15, where Jesus invited everyone to come to stay with Him, see for themselves everything, taste His love, compassion, mercy and Truth, and then choose to reform/repent of their sins. So the words Jesus said to the woman are not startling, but affirming…
“Woman, where are they?
Has no one condemned you?”
She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you;
go, and from now on sin no more.”
BibleGateway