The God who can perform the absolutely novel and extraordinary act of leading Israel through the Red Sea can also perform extraordinary acts of mercy, as we see in today's Gospel. And this gives today's Mass readings a very unique theme: the surprising and unexpected character of divine mercy.
"Look I realize something new".God proclaims through Isaiah in today's first reading. He can open the sea to carry Israel across it and close it over their persecutors. And he can make rivers flow in the desert to give Israel water.
"The Lord has been great with us, and we are glad."we exclaim in wonder at the psalm's response.
And John shows something different but similar in the gospel. In the midst of the rigid and deserted interpretation of the law that had taken hold of Israel, Jesus does something completely new by making the waters of mercy flow. A woman is caught in adultery: probably the enemies of Christ had waited for the opportunity to catch her "red-handed" in her sin simply to use it as a trap to ensnare Jesus. The Law of Moses was clear: an adulterous woman was to be stoned to death. But in practice they rarely did so. If he agreed to her stoning, Jesus could appear hard-hearted. If he objected, he could appear to be going against the Law of Moses. Jesus bends down to write on the ground because, in his human nature, he needed time to think, but also because, as God, he writes the divine law on human hearts.
Jesus was "writing" a new and better interpretation of the law: neither its rigid application nor its lax neglect, but something completely new at that time, the overcoming of our limited understanding of the law by divine mercy. Christ was offering to lead the Israelites through the "sea" of their limited interpretation to a new and better land of mercy. He wanted to bring mercy into the wilderness of their hearts.
While recognizing that the woman deserved condemnation - the law still stands - do not condemn her, forgive her, says Jesus, also recognizing that before God we are all guilty: "He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone at her.".
When the accusers have left, Jesus dismisses the woman: her guilt is acknowledged ("go, and henceforth sin no more."), but it is forgiven, not condemned ("neither do I condemn you"). This Lent we are invited to go beyond sterile condemnation through the "sea" of mercy, letting its rivers flow more and more in our hearts.
