44 My Monologues with the 'Woman Caught' (Jn 8)

44 My Monologues with the "Woman  Caught"  (Jn 8)

Oh, the Scribes and the Pharisees,

Like your Prized "Catch", you too must have spent a sleepless night, searching for  the "Prey", right?

Once you had the "Catch" in your kitty, you must have been thrilled. By spotting her in the act, you got the most essential component of the plot you had been hatching.

And you all gloated over! Didn't you?

You must have racked your brain plotting of a fool-proof classical case to trap Jesus, your bet noir, didn't you?

By the way, how did you spot her exact location at the right time?

Usually such illegal sexual acts are done in a hush-hush.

So it is highly likely that you had some prior information about it, right?

Did you, in fact, set it up, just to have a fool-proof case?

The whole thing reeks of the stench of your sick mind?

The narration about your:

"they said to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him..." lends credence to it, right?

Moreover, why didn't you bring along her male partner the one who committed adultery with her?

Weren't both of them equally responsible for the act?

Weren't both guilty?

Didn't they both break the Law?

Didn't they both deserve the Mosaic Punishment?

So where was the male accomplice?

Was he allowed to escape conveniently  after having fun and after provided you with a fool-proof scenario?

Did you pay him to do his part and for his complicity?

If you were really concerned about the immorality of adultery you should have and you would have brought along the male partner as well.

Weren't they both guilty?

Why is he missing?

Why did you bring only just the 'Woman Caught'?

You used both of them, especially the woman, as mere pawns in your vicious game to get at Jesus at any cost.

You exploited the human weakness for irresponsible and immoral carnal pleasures.

In a sense, your minds are more adulterous than the adulterous bodies of the man and the woman involved, Don't you think so?

As I look at myself and into myself, i am very familiar with your mindset as I do possess a piece of it.

It might be a bit more accurate to say, at times, I am even possessed by this type sick mind similar to yours!

I have used others as pawns to settle scores with my real or perceived opponents.

Dear Lord, do keep reminding me, challenging me to throw out such sick mind and attitude whenever it  takes me over!

Oh, the 'Woman Caught',

Pathetic is your condition,

Painful is your  situation,

And self-despising is your attitude, right?

I guess you find yourself caught up in this way of life.

Even if you had wanted to get out and start a new life,

Odds were very much against you, right?

With your past, it must have been difficult to find a life time partner in a married way of life.

All they want to enjoy was your body and exploit you.

In the present scenario, they must have trapped you, right?

Would you have agreed to sleep with that male partner, had you known that you would be produced before the Religious Authorities as an accused?

I don't think you answer would be a positive.

Oh, the Woman Caught,

By now you know:

How mean can we men be in our dealing with women!

Often our male chauvinist mind has little problem in using, misusing, and abusing our female counterparts for our own selfish reasons of all sorts!

You are neither the first victim nor the last one to be abused and exploited by us men.

What amazes me is your Silence.

You never tried to minimize your role and responsibilities in the act.

You never placed the blame on others.

You could have told that you were forced, coerced to cooperate.

You could have told that you were emotionally pressured.

You could have told the male involved had promised you to marry you.

You could have told that it is the only way for you to earn your livelihood..

You could have told any number of excuses to reduce your culpability.

But you did none of these!

You neither blamed the Scribes nor the Pharisees nor the male nor yourself!

Oh, the Woman Caught,

Did you keep thinking silently something like:

" It is of no use.. "

"No one would believe me or what I have to say."

"I leave myself just in the hands of the inevitable fate to be stoned..."

"Even this Rabbi would neither believe nor understand me.."

"After all, men always stick together, don't they?"

Oh, the Woman Caught, you might have had thoughts something similar to above lines, right?

Oh, the Woman Caught,

You never expressed any regret or remorse for your way of life.

You never asked the Lord for forgiveness for your wayward ways.

When asked by the Lord, your answers were just the matter of fact replies, replies devoid of any hope or optimism.

It must have been unbelievable for your eyes when you saw them, one by one, dropping the stones from their hands!

It must have been incredible when you heard,

"Neither do I condemn you"!

Oh, the Woman Caught,

Standing before him, looking at him,

How awestruck you must have been!

Your numb mind and remorseless heart must have melted in the merciful attitude of the Lord, right?

What has become of you after this soul stirring experience?

You expected a merciless judgment and stoning!

But you were given a compassionate verdict!

You expected death by stoning by the humans.

But you were gifted with a new lease of life by the divine,

To mend your ways and to amend for your past!

You were caught at night and brought to judgment.

But were released in the morning with a new lease of life!

How merciful is the Master!

Dear Merciful Lord Jesus,

How tactfully you treated your opponents!

They wanted to test you, trap you and taste victory.

But you gave them a taste of your compassion.

You did it without confronting them arrogantly.

You did it without accusing them self-righteously.

You did it without shaming them with a showdown.

Yet you did it with appealing to their conscience!

Dear Merciful Lord,

You know the arrogant little Pharisee in me acts up.

You know I carry within myself a snobbish little Pharisee.

You know there is a cruelly critical, Pharisee in me.

You know there's a tricking, trapping type Pharisee in me

Yet you have been very caring and forgiving to me.

Though I deserve to be stoned,

Yet you keep on bending down and writing on the ground.

Thank you, Lord, thank you for your patience for me,

for your forbearance with me, waiting for me to change.

Lord, I want to keep dropping the stones I have in my hand and be merciful to those who keep failing.

Oh,  My Lord and My God,

I want to spend some time in silk, in your presence,

Acknowledging the little Pharisee in me,

Acknowledging the little woman caught

And placing them before you,

Pleading to continue your merciful presence in my life

Until I relent, until I repent, until I renew myself.

Amen

JoAchen

Thursday, 28th May, 2015

Joachenmonologues@gmail.com

Dear Reader,
These Reflections are neither pure scientific exegesis nor are they any highly theological explanations. These are my devotional meditations mainly meant for my personal renewal and spiritual growth. They are a part of the journaling of a 'Prodigal Priest' on my Pilgrimage to the Home of our Heavenly., Father.

You are welcome to share them.
Dear Reader, I keep holding you in my prayers and I request you to include me in yours.

I plan on uploading a Reflection each on 7th, 14th, 21st, and on the 28th of every month.
Thank you!