3rd Passiontide 2011, Secret Recesses

3^rd Passiontide

John 8: 1-12

Breughel

Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives; but as soon as day dawned he was already in the Temple court, where the people flocked to him, and he sat down and began to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees led in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand in the middle, and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They said this only as a trap, in order finally to have a reason for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down, and started to write something in the earth with his finger. When they kept on pressing him with questions, he stood up and said to them, “Whoever among you is without sin, let him cast the first stone at her.” And again, he bent down and wrote in the earth.

When they heard this, their conscience began to stir within them, and they went out, one after the other, beginning with the eldest. And only Jesus was left and the woman who stood in the middle. Jesus stood up, and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one passed judgment on you?”

“No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I judge you,” Jesus declared. “Go now, and leave your life of sin.”

 3^rd Passiontide

April 10, 2011

John 8: 1-12

There are illnesses that show outwardly—the cough, the rash. And there are those that grow silently, malignantly within.

The Hebraic lawyers fixed their attention on other people’s outer behaviors. Extreme measures were taken to eliminate those who could not control themselves in accordance with the Law.

But Christ brings with Him another law. It is the law of a warm light, which shines not only on outer deeds, but also into the secret recesses of the human heart. He asks us all to shine His light of merciful discernment not only on others, but also within. For we all have two beings within our breast. One is critical and judgmental; it wants to dominate others. The other is soft and loving, but perhaps too weakly passive.

Christ’s loving heart gives us a third way. He gives us a healthy Self that condemns neither itself nor others. At the same time, this healthy Self has the strength to assert itself against the main causes that separate us from Him, namely fear and illusion. With the light of His love, we can find both strength and loving kindness.

For as the poet says:

Before you know what kindness really is

you must lose things,

feel the future dissolve in a moment

like salt in a weakened broth.

….Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,

you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.

You must wake up with sorrow.

….Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,

….only kindness that raises its head

from the crowd of the world to say

it is I you have been looking for,

and then goes with you everywhere

like a shadow or a friend.[1]

www.thechristiancommunity.org

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[1] Naomi Shihab Nye, “Kindness,” in ten poems to open your heart, Roger Housden, p. 67.