“Eight little sailors went up to heaven, one looked back and now there’s seven.”
That line is from an old sea chantey, a working song from the age of sail. It reflects the Christian attitude emphasized in today’s readings. A Christian always looks forward, not back. Our entire existence here on earth is a journey towards Christ. It is pointless to look back, dwelling on past sins can only bring us harm, past sins are forgiven.
God did not want the people of Israel to look back, constantly dwelling on a period of exile. He urged them to look forward to a new covenant.
Paul tells us to forget what lies behind and strain forwards to what lies ahead. We are oriented to the future, to the promise of salvation.
When the woman taken in adultery is brought before Jesus, He first shows us that we are all culpable. We are all delivered to disobedience, that God might have mercy on us all. (Romans 11:32) When all her accusers have left, Jesus voices words of forgiveness. No one can condemn another in the presence of God. Jesus suffers for us all in order to obtain God’s mercy and forgiveness for all.
Our salvation is accomplished in the Passion of Christ. This act of God is the destination of our journey for it is here that God creates something new.
We look ahead to Palm Sunday and Holy Week. The past is irrelevant; God has offered us a future of eternal blessedness.
Pax Vobiscum
5th Sunday of Lent
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