Sunday 6th April

Sunday 6^th April 2025 – 5th Sunday of Lent

Wouldn’t you love to know what Jesus wrote with his finger in the sand. While those who brought the woman to Jesus were pointing their fingers at her, Jesus uses his pointing finger, not to point and accuse, but to write in the sand.

Interestingly what Jesus initially wrote seems to have made no impression on the accusatory mob. Might the first message that Jesus wrote in the sand have been for the woman? Might it have been this message, written in the sand, that enabled her to hold her ground and to begin to stand tall?

Then Jesus invites her accusers to reflect on themselves and if they have never sinned, by all means be the first to throw a stone. But then we are told that Jesus returns to writing in the sand again. Whatever he wrote this time seems to have had an effect because the accusers walked away one by one, beginning with the eldest. There is nothing as powerful as self-reflection that leads to self-realisation.

And the story finishes with Jesus looking up to the woman who has up to now been looked down on by these finger pointing men. Jesus has not only freed her from these men who were using her to get at him, he has gifted her the new perspective of being looked up to in life. In doing so Jesus gifted her the freedom found in forgiveness. He gifted her the possibility of a future filled with possibility and hope. He gifted her the liberating invitation to live and truly love again.

May we see where Jesus has written this lifegiving message of love in the sands of our lives and our hearts this Lent.