"See, I am doing something new!"  Isaiah proclaims to his people, and to us, that the Lord God sets us free.  We are forgiven. We are no longer a people condemned to carry the weight of our past with us.  Paul reminds us we have not yet finished the race, instead we push on to what is ahead.  We are running toward the prize, life on high in Jesus Christ.  It becomes all the more clear to us in the words of today's gospel. 

            A woman caught in adultery is brought before the Lord.  Her accusers, the scribes and Pharisees, are more interested in Jesus' verdict in the case than they are in the fate of the woman.  She is just a tool in their game to trap Jesus.  Will he follow the Mosaic law and condemn the woman or will he reject the law in order to set her free?  We may not recognize the importance of this incident for the woman and especially for Jesus.  This is a life and death situation.  For the woman caught in adultery the punishment is death by stoning.  The accusers of Jesus are seeking an opportunity to have him arrested.

            Jesus' response to this dilemma was to move it to another level.  Instead of making a quick statement to resolve the conflict, Jesus bent down and began writing in the sand.  What was be doing?  Perhaps he needed the moment to pray, to bring the enormity of the confrontation to the Father.  Perhaps his moment of silence turned the hearts of the accusers inward.  Some think he wrote the sins of the accusers in the dust.  Finally, Jesus stood tall and said to them, "Let the one among you with no sin be the first to cast a stone!"  Who would that be?  Would it be you or me?  Is there anyone who qualifies?  What is it that God wants for a sinner?  Punishment, or a change of heart?  Here Jesus' parables of forgiveness are acted out in real life. 

            The crowd dispersed from the oldest to the youngest.  Jesus did not condemn the woman either.  Instead he reminded her that she had been freed from this sin.  Being forgiven is important because it frees us to become what God calls us to be.  But we must never forget that we are obliged to bring that same forgiveness to others.  We have been set free from the burden of sin, so in the same way we are to help lift the burden of others.  As we race toward the finish line the only burden we carry is our concern that the brothers and sisters will finish the race with us.