Family Bible Study - Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year C

Gospel Passage
John 8:1 while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came
again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach
them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in
adultery; and making her stand before all of them, 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this
woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 5 Now in the law Moses
commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They said this to
test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down
and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he
straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the
first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once again he bent down and wrote on the
ground. 9 When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the
elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus
straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned
you?” 11 She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go
your way, and from now on do not sin again.”

Questions for Discussion -

1. This woman was caught trying to take away someone that belonged in
marriage to someone else already. If we have something that belongs to us, is it right for someone to take it away? Should we take things that don’t belong to us? What is the sin of adultery? Why is it so wrong and contrary to God’s plan?

2. Jesus said, “Let the one among you without sin be the first to cast a stone at
her.” Jesus knew that, sometimes, we like to tell on other people so that they
won’t notice our sins so much. Has this ever happened to you? What do you
think Jesus calls us to do about it?

3. While Jesus did not condemn the woman, he did condemn her sin and
told her, out of love, to go and “from now on, do not sin again.” Why does Jesus do this?
used with permission - Fr. Roger Landry