Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent
One of the things I try to do every morning is read the newspaper. It does not take long to see many news stories that reflect the growing attitudes of hatred, prejudice, pettiness, and greed in our city, country and throughout the world. In today’s gospel, Jesus demonstrates how we are called to be “transformers.” By the power of His Spirit, Jesus takes judgment and hatred and responds with mercy and forgiveness. We are called to do the same.
In today’s gospel the scribes and Pharisees present Jesus with a woman caught in adultery. They bring her into the crowd already condemned and ready to stone her for her actions. When Jesus is asked what the response should be, He calmly bends down and writes in the sand. When pressed further he comments, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” And they all drop their stones and leave. Jesus then addresses the woman and instead of judgment and condemnation, offers her mercy and forgiveness.
Jesus “transforms” hatred into mercy. How does He do this? I have recently read Ronald Rolheiser’s book “The Passion and the Cross”. Rolheiser compares Jesus’ ability to transform sin and evil into mercy and goodness to a water filter. “The filter does not simply let the water flow through it; rather the water filter holds the dirt and toxins inside of itself and gives back only the pure water. In simple language, Jesus took away the sins of the world by taking in hatred and giving back love; by taking in anger and giving out graciousness, by taking in envy and giving back blessing; by taking in bitterness and giving out warmth, by taking in pettiness and giving back compassion, by taking in chaos and giving back peace, and by taking in sin and giving back forgiveness.”
The important part of this explanation is that as disciples of Christ we are called to do as He did. “We are asked to go into our families, communities, churches, and civil society, where always there is tension, and become the shock absorbers and water filters that absorb the sin and don’t give it back…We do this whenever we take in hatred, anger, envy, pettiness, and bitterness and hold them, transmute them and eventually give them back as love, graciousness, blessing, compassion, warmth and forgiveness.” (Rolheiser)
Wow! When I think about these possibilities I wonder if it really could be so. But this is exactly what each of us is called to do. We cannot do this our own. It is only through the power of the Spirit in our lives that we can become a “transformer” like Christ. In today’s reading, Jesus shows us how we need to begin- in prayer. At the beginning of this reading, Jesus is coming from the Mount of Olives where He most likely has been spending time listening and being open to Father and the Father’s love. We must be like Christ where we find our power in the love of God. If we can be immersed in God’s love and goodness, then we will be better able to take the hatred, anger, and evil and transform it.
Like Jesus on the cross being a transformer requires self-sacrifice and humility. When we take in the hatred, we need to accept the suffering and hurt this causes us and not respond with hatred even though we may feel that this hatred is justified. This approach to living lives of transformation requires not only a change of mind, but a change of heart, and this can only come from Christ within us.
If I put myself in the gospel scene, I wonder if I would have been ready to throw the stone at the woman. In today’s world, am I quick to throw stones of judgment and hate towards those who have different opinions, different lifestyles, and different beliefs? By the power of Christ, I am called to hold these conflicts within me and allow Him to filter out all the impurities so they can be transformed into responses of love and acceptance. I am sure I will not have to look far to find opportunities where I find myself in judgment of others, and therefore in need of Christ’s transforming power in the situation.
As a disciple of Christ, I find great hope and encouragement in the possibility that I can have an impact on this world by being a transformer with and through Him. If every person who follows Jesus would begin to practice small ways of transforming hatred, envy, anger, and bitterness we could begin to see His kingdom of love, peace, mercy and hope take shape.
Father of love, Jesus shows us the way in transforming the sins and evil through Your love and grace. May Your Spirit allow us to be active members in transforming our world for Your glory. We pray this through Christ, our LORD. Amen
- Marylynn Herchline