Conversion of the Heart

by Susanna Mak
2019-04-07
Fifth Sunday of Lent

Isaiah 43:16-21


Philippians 3:8-14


John 8:1-11


“The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoice”, the Psalmist boldly proclaims (Ps 126:3). Indeed, we have been richly blessed with God’s love and mercy. During the past four Sundays of Lent, we have been reminded of the unfathomable depth and width of God’s love and mercy, and are called to repent and believe in the Gospel. God has promised us a new beginning, “I am about to do a new thing; [...] do you not perceive it” (Is 43:19)? From the water that destroys the entire army of Pharaoh in the OT to the living water that cleanses, quenches thirst, and gives life in the NT, God continues to reveal His salvific plan to humanity (Ref. Is 43:16-21, Jn 4:13-14). In the first reading, Isaiah reaffirms the faithfulness of God: God has “extinguished” the Pharaoh’s army and will “make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Is 43:17, 19). Similarly, God has the power to transform the arid landscape of our hearts into lush and fertile grounds.

In this week’s Gospel, Jesus is, once again, tested by the scribes and Pharisees. They brandish the Law of Moses, like a lethal weapon, that “commanded [them] to stone” the woman who has been caught in adultery (Jn 8:5). Jesus gently avoids such trap by challenging their hypocrisy, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (Jn 8:7). When everyone has left without throwing a single stone, Jesus does not condemn the woman but urges her “from now on do not sin again” (Jn 8:11). Jesus has not only shown mercy to the sinner but more importantly, he has demonstrated that our sins cannot be blotted out by the letter of the law but only by God’s mercy. Further, true conversion of the heart is rooted in faith. St. Paul explains that we may “gain Christ” not through “righteousness of [our] own that comes from the law but one that comes from faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith” (Ph 3:9). Indeed, Jesus comes not to negate or abolish the Old Law - the Law of Moses: The Ten Commandments - but to fulfill it (ref. CCC 1962). “The Law of the Gospel "fulfills," refines, surpasses, and leads the Old Law to its perfection” (CCC 1967). This new law, “The Law of the Gospel [...] does not add new external precepts, but proceeds to reform the heart, the root of human acts, [...] where faith, hope, and charity are formed and with them the other virtues” (CCC 1968).

Ultimately, Jesus has done way more for this woman by showing her that true freedom from sin is rooted in the conversion of the heart. Henri Nouwen explains, “That is what conversion is all about. It is a complete turnaround that allows us to discover that we are not the prisoners we think we are. [...] We worry about many things and even wound ourselves while worrying. God says: ‘Turn around, set your heart on my kingdom. I give you all the freedom you desire’” (Nouwen 54). When Jesus tells the woman not to sin again, He has not only lifted the burden of sin from her but also shown her a way towards genuine freedom and a new beginning. This story, like so many other stories in the Bible, calls us to turn to God without reservation.

As we journey along the last stretch of Lent towards the climax of God’s salvific plan, Christ’s death and resurrection, let us pray for courage to stay faithful and hopeful; keep “straining forward to what lies ahead” and “press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus” (Ph 3:14).

Reference:
Nouwen, Henri. Here and Now: Living in the Spirit. New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1994.

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