SAINT CYRIL OF JERUSALEM (OPTIONAL MEMORIAL)

Neither do I condemn you. 

In today’s Gospel, everyone is waiting on Jesus, expecting him to cast immediate judgment on the woman brought to him. Yet his patience amid all the tension is striking. He will not reprove those who are trying to use the law to entrap him. Nor is he scandalized by this woman’s actions. Jesus knows that this is not the time for judgment and condemnation. Rather, it’s the time for a fresh outpouring of mercy for anyone willing to receive it.

This is why Jesus came into the world—so that even serious sin could be forgiven and blotted out. As he said later, “I do not judge anyone” (John 8:15). He did not condemn the woman who had committed adultery. He did not condemn the accusers who were allied against him. And he won’t condemn you! As St. Paul wrote, “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

What will Jesus do instead? He will forgive you. As this Gospel passage shows, you should never be afraid to come to him with your sins and ask for his mercy. He will never reject you. Because of his great love for you, he will always welcome you back to him. But he won’t stop there. As he did with the woman in this story, he will invite you to sin no more (John 8:11). It’s up to you to accept that invitation, every day if necessary.

There will come a day when Jesus, enthroned with his Father, will sit as our judge. But today is not that day. Today Jesus says, “Neither do I condemn you” (John 8:11). He says, “Today I have wiped the slate clean. Leave your sin behind, and walk with me in love and in the freedom I have won for you.”

The woman caught in adultery thought her time was up; she thought her sin would lead to her death. But Jesus wants all of us to live! So come to him without fear, confess your sin, and let him pour out his mercy on you. Most likely you will fall again, maybe even today. But even if you do, know that Jesus is always willing to offer you his love, his mercy—and a new tomorrow!

“Lord Jesus, I praise you for a mercy that is new every morning.”

Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62
Psalm 23:1-6
John 8:1-11