I often wonder what Jesus was writing in the sand when he challenged the Pharisees who were about to stone the woman caught in adultery. Many commentators assume this may have been the sins of the people who wanted to condemn a person to death. By bringing their lives into sharp contrast between their own lives and their ability to judge another they were conscious of how their sins weighed down upon them. It may even be that some may have been complicit in the very action for which they wished to condemn another. We will probably never know.
However, I believe just focussing on our sins or the sins of another does not draw us closer to a relationship with God or the rest of humanity. We can become limited in noticing what is falling apart in our lives rather than on the mercy offered by God. This builds on the story of the forgiving father from last week in noticing that God meets us in our own reality and seeks for us to experience an encounter that changes our lives. The purpose of Lent is not just to confess our sins but rather to experience God's healing touch which removes us from our own isolation and alienation from humanity.
The readings help us to see and experience that it is in this relationship that God transforms our life. In this Jesus was not writing a list of our sins but rather the areas in which we need to experience transformation but are deaf to his voice. In this way, Jesus sits down with us not to focus on our sins but rather on how our wounds are healed. This is a profound surrender because it allows Jesus to become close and personal in areas of our life that we often say is off-limits. This loving persistence seeks a way through our wounds to be present to God in a new way. One which does not condemn others because of the disorder we experience within ourselves but rather a liberation that lives mercy.
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