Opening Prayer
Gospel
Gospel John 8: 1-11
Jesus was teaching in the temple when the Pharisees brought a woman to stand before him. “This woman has been caught doing something wrong, and the law says that she should be stoned,” they said “ What do you think?” they asked, because they wanted to trick Jesus.
After a few moments Jesus stood up and said, “Let the person who has never done anything wrong throw the first stone at her.” The crowd that had gathered began to one by one, until Jesus and the woman stood alone.
Jesus said to her, “Has anyone thrown a stone at you?” “No sir,” she answered. “Then I have forgiven you,” he said. “Now go and make a fresh start.”
Discussion
Discussion
- Why did the Pharisees want to stone the woman?
According to their law, stoning was the punishment given for her wrongdoing.
- How did they mean to trick Jesus?
The Pharisees wanted to see whether or not Jesus would disobey the law and show the woman mercy.
- What did Jesus say to them?
He told the people that anyone who was completely pure and good, and who had never done anything wrong, should throw the first stone. The crowd had been ready to punish the woman, but Jesus made them realize that no one is perfect and we all make mistakes.
Jesus understood that people are often weak and do things wrong. He was always ready to give them another chance to change their hearts and their lives. He showed the woman mercy and sent her away to try again.
What we learn from the story
- That Jesus is merciful and forgiving. He is ready to forgive our mistakes and give us another chance.
- Often we see the mistakes and faults of other people before we notice our own. We should be ready to forgive others, just as others forgive our own faults.
Closing Prayer
Merciful Jesus,
Help us to be understanding and forgiving,
and to remember that we all make mistakes sometimes.
AMEN
Activities
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