God is doing something new
Fifth Sunday of Lent - Year C
Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 126:1-6; Philippians 3:8-14; John 8:1-11
The liturgy of the Word is calling us to look towards the future. “Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see, I am doing something new!“ (Is. 43:18-19). What are those things of long ago? In the first reading it was the exodus from Egypt, in the Gospel, the death penalty for the sin of adultery, and in the second reading, the life of apostle Paul before his encounter with Christ. What is that something new? A new exodus from Babylon, a new life offered to the sinful woman, and in the case of Saint Paul - fascination with Christ.
In the past, God opened “a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters” (Is. 43:16). In the future, He will open a way through a vast desert that lies between Babylon and the Promised Land. There will be plenty of water in the wilderness for the people to drink (Is. 43:20). The liberation from Babylonian exile will be even more impressive than the exodus from Egypt and both of them foretell our liberation from the slavery of sin.
“Moses commanded us to stone such women” (John 8:5). Not exactly correct. In the case of someone being caught in the very act of committing adultery, the law of Moses commanded to stone both of them - the man and the woman (see Deut. 22:22-24, Lev. 20:10). So, where is the man? “So what do you say” (John 8:5)? Jesus’ answer is: “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her“ (John 8:7). Moses commanded that “the hands of the witnesses be the first” to put the accused person to death (Deut. 17:7). Needless to say, the witnesses should be honest and trustworthy (Deut. 19:15-20), but could they be without sin?
“And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders” (John 8:9). The sinners did not dare to condemn a sinner. Then, a sinner is left in the presence of the one who is without sin (Heb. 4:15). Our Lord does not condemn her either (John 8:11, Rom. 8:34, Luke 23:34). “As I live, says the Lord, I do not wish the sinner to die but to turn back to me and live” (Ezek. 33:11). Instead, He tells her: “Go, and from now on sin no more” (John 8:11). Jesus has indeed done something new: instead of death, life; instead of condemnation, forgiveness; instead of remaining in the slavery of sin, an invitation to a life free from sin.
In the Acts of the Apostles, Saint Luke recorded for us a story of the first Christian martyr: Saint Stephen (Acts 6:8-7:60). He was falsely accused by false witnesses (Acts 6:13) and then stoned to death (Acts 7:58-59). Luke ends this story with a sentence: “And Saul approved of their killing him” (Acts 8:1). That is the past of Saint Paul. It is this past, together with his whole social and religious status, that he considers as “rubbish” (see Phil. 3:4-7). Now, “forgetting what lies behind” Saint Paul was “straining forward to what lies ahead” (Phil. 3:13). Knowing Christ became his life’s passion and his life’s goal was to attain “the resurrection from the dead” (Phil 3:11), “the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ” (Phil. 3:14)
“There is no saint without a past, no sinner without a future” (St. Augustine). The testimony of the saints fills us with hope. What God has achieved in their lives He can also achieve in ours. We can also forget what lies behind us and focus our eyes on Christ. Perhaps, in the beginning, the road to holiness seems difficult, but with each step, we realize how God constantly supports us with His grace. And when we finally reach the goal, we will sing along with others: “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy” (Ps. 126:3).