This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.
In our readings today, two women were spared from unjust execution by the mercy of God.
One was innocent of the crime of which she was accused, and the other may have been guilty of sin, but not of a crime against society.
In each case, a man of God–a young prophet for the first, the Messiah Himself for the second–averted the injustice by pointing out the inconsistency of the accusation.
There are many examples in the Bible of God coming to the rescue of His just ones. He comes to the aid of Esther, of Abraham; in the New Testament, his angels free St. Peter from chains…
We may ask ourselves why there are exceptions to this, indeed, one particularly glaring exception: God does not spare His own Son, Jesus. It would seem so much tidier and coherent if God at the last moment had swooped in and saved Jesus from death. The story would be so much cleaner, so much less tragic.
How blithely we smooth over the importance of sin and its effects in our minds. We want so desperately to think that, because we are good people, our sin can’t be that serious.
But because it upsets the order designed by the Creator, it is that serious. The evil done by sin had to be reversed; Jesus had to die, if our sin was to be erased.
In this Lent, as we strive to stir our “good” hearts to profound repentance, to recognition of the impact of the evil those hearts have committed, we do well to look upon the crucifix. Jesus did not die for our sins simply to make a point. He suffered unspeakable agony over hours and hours, finally dying in excruciating pain, because this was the price that had to be paid for our disobedience–yours and mine, the sins we committed just today.
Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Tell Jesus you are deeply sorry for your sins, not for some selfish reason, but because you know your sins caused the need for Him to suffer terribly. Tell Him that now, at least at this moment, you give Him your absolute and unconditional “yes” in obedience, and ask Him to send you His Spirit to keep you faithful to that gift.
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