Let the stone fall from our hands

  

Sermon by Father Francis Maple - Link HERE 

LET THE STONE FALL FROM OUR HANDS

 

As we come close to Holy Week, the Church places before us one of the most moving scenes in the Gospel: the woman caught in adultery.  She is dragged before Jesus, exposed, ashamed, and condemned.  The law is clear.  The verdict seems certain. The stones are already in their hands.

 

And yet, everything changes when Jesus speaks.  “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone.”  Beginning with the eldest one by one, they walk away.  And then comes that tender moment: “Woman, where are they?  Has no one condemned you?”  “No one, Lord.”  “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more.”

 

This Gospel is not just about that woman - it is about each one of us.  We are all standing there.  Sometimes we are like the crowd - quick to judge, ready to condemn, holding stones in our hearts: resentment, criticism, harsh words.

 

At other times, we are like the woman - caught in our weakness, ashamed of our sins, afraid of being exposed.

 

And then there is Jesus, calm, merciful, and full of truth.  He does not deny sin. He does not say the woman is innocent.  But He refuses to reduce her to her sin.  He sees her dignity.  He gives her a future.

Notice what Jesus does: He bends down and writes on the ground.  Silence.  No argument.  No shouting.  Why?  Because mercy is quiet - but powerful.

 

His words do not attack; they awaken conscience.  And the accusers begin to leave, starting with the eldest - those who perhaps know their own sins best.  How often we need that same grace - to look not at the faults of others, but at our own hearts.  Lent is not a time for throwing stones. It is a time for letting them fall.

 

Jesus says “Neither do I condemn you.”  These are among the most beautiful words in the Gospel.  Jesus does not condemn, but He calls the woman higher: “Go, and sin no more.”

 

Mercy is not permission to remain as we are.  It is the power to begin again.  God never tires of forgiving us. But He invites us to change, to rise, to become the person He created us to be.

 

A young boy once broke a neighbour’s window while playing football.  Terrified, he hid behind a wall, expecting anger and punishment.  The neighbour came out, looked at the broken glass, and then gently called him over.  “I know you did it,” he said. The boy trembled.  “But I forgive you.  Just be more careful next time.”  Years later, the boy said, “That moment changed me. I wanted to be better - not because I was punished, but because I was forgiven.”

 

As we approach the Passion of Our Lord, we remember that Jesus Himself will soon take the place of that woman.  He will stand where the condemned stand.  He will carry the weight of our sins.  And the stones that should have fallen on us will fall on Him.

 

So today, let us do three things: drop the stones we hold against others.  Bring our own sins to the mercy of Christ.  Hear His words spoken personally to us: “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more.”

 

Lord Jesus, You see our sins, yet You love us still.  Give us the grace to let go of judgement, to trust in Your mercy.  May we walk with You into Holy Week with humble and repentant hearts.
Amen.