Neither will HE condemn me…
I recently came across the story of Hawkes Cider, which is sold throughout the UK and indeed around the world in places including the US…
Simon Wright, the founder of the business, found out about a load of apples, which were going to be thrown out and would go to waste. Not wishing to waste the fruit and seeing an opportunity for his business, Wright came up with the idea of using those damaged apples to make cider. Hawkes Cider is now a household name today in many places throughout the world…
And I have been thinking about that as I have been thinking about Christ and the way that He saved Mary Magdalene…
“The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to Him, ‘Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such. What do you say about her?’... And as they continued to ask Him, He stood up and said to them, ‘Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.’ And once more He bent down and wrote with His finger on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the eldest, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before Him. Jesus looked up and said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again.’” (John 8:1-11).
You see, this reminds me of sin. For all humans are sinful – with the exception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (conceived without sin), Saint John the Baptist (born without sin after he leapt within his mother’s womb during the visitation), and Christ Himself (who is God the Son and without sin).
And Christ knows that and said – over and over and over again – that He came to call sinners. And He acted on that. Saint Simon Peter – who denied Him three times before the cock crew, was given the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. Saint Matthew – who was a greedy tax collector and considered the lowest member of Jewish society because he became rich by exploiting people within his community. Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo – who spent the first thirty three years of his life trying to commit every single possible sin. All these people – when they asked for forgiveness – were forgiven.
And today, when I stop and think about that, I realise that it is not the sin that holds me back from my Beloved – for He will embrace me even though I sin – it is my pride in being unwilling to repent and beg His forgiveness…
And today, I pray for the Grace to be humble as Mary Magdalene was humble. For today I realise that neither will HE condemn me… And all I need to do is to ask for His mercy…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.