It’s a sad fact of life, if you do something good, it isn’t remembered for very long. You are only as good as your last good deed. But if you do something bad, there will be those who insist on never forgetting it. There will always be those who mutter, “Oh that’s ‘so and so’ the one who had the affair.” “That Mr. Thingymajig, the one who embezzled the company funds.” It’s a very sad human failing. We are loathe to let the  failings of others go.

In today’s gospel reading the Scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught committing adultery. According to the Law of Moses such a woman should be stoned. What has Jesus to say on the matter? As ever, The Scribes and Pharisees are seeking to trap Jesus into giving an answer that is  unlawful. Jesus however is great at not falling into traps. “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone,” he replies.

When we have made a mistake in life, the last thing we need is condemnation. Condemnation is rarely useful.

Condemnation sends us to a dark place where we  fester. Denied our second chance, our self esteem is eroded. We begin to see ourselves in a different light. Other people think we are bad or weak so perhaps we are. Our self   image spirals downwards, we start to  behave the way people expect us to behave…. badly! But the people, who have pointed the finger of blame; are they really in any position to judge?

We are extraordinarily quick to throw the first stone. Our powers of empathy are limited. Perhaps we enjoy moral outrage. Perhaps we enjoy gossiping at someone else’s expense. Today we are challenged. The next time we open our mouths to condemn, we are asked to find mercy      instead, the same mercy we expect when we have fallen from grace.