Fifth Sunday of Lent

One evening some years ago I placed my queen next to my opponent’s king and said, “Checkmate!” With his defenseless king he took my equally undefended queen. I never saw it coming.
Thus did Jesus respond when his opponents demanded that he judge a woman caught in adultery. It was too obvious they were setting a trap for him. It was so obvious they could not imagine how he would turn the trap on them. Jesus – who truly is the judge -- told to make a judgment, forced them to judge themselves.

See, I am doing something new! 
Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

Sometimes things happen that make perfect sense only in retrospect. No one could imagine Jesus’ coming. He simply appeared; and his disciples, taught by the Holy Spirit, put it all together later and said “Of course!” When we read this story of John 8 we say, “Of course! How could his enemies be so foolish?”
As Union armies arrived in southern states many slaves fled the plantations. The land owners were astonished. They said, “How could they do this to us? After all we did for them!” Year after year they had seen these smiling black faces saying “Yes, Ma’am; no Ma’am, thank you Ma’am.” and they never suspected the resentment and longing for freedom that lie behind those smiles.
How could Enron or Lehman Brothers or Bernie Madoff expect to get away with their unethical behavior for so long? They did not see the Day of Judgment coming.
How can people smoke cigarettes year after year and be surprised by COPD? How can young people run up credit card debts before they even have a job? How can senior citizens frequent casinos and complain about the high cost of living? They do not see the Day of Judgment coming.

What didn’t Jesus opponents see as they confronted him? His mercy and his justice. They seem irreconcilable. Can justice be merciful; can mercy be just? In our world it seems impossible.
• Justice demands punishment but it rarely punishes the wealthy or the powerful. They hire the lawyers, twist the facts (and a few arms) and buy a favorable verdict.
• Mercy comforts even the sinner, but it doesn’t reach as far as poor sinners. They can’t afford good clothes, much less the lawyers and the influence to win mercy.

Jesus does something new, unexpected and perfectly natural. It springs forth like a flower from its bud, like the fruit from a flower; but, until it happens, no one can imagine how it comes to pass.
         Love and truth will meet; 
         Justice and peace will kiss.
         Truth will spring from the earth; 
         Justice will look down from heaven.