THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
Some people, having weak faith, or even being hostile to the true faith, removed from the texts of Scripture the account of how our Lord showed mercy to the woman taken in adultery.
They did this, I think, from fear that freedom to sin with impunity was being granted to their wives. It is as though He who said, “Go, and from now on sin no more” (Jn 8:11), had bestowed pardon upon sin.
Or it is as though this woman had not been healed of sin by the divine Physician, lest all others who are equally unclean should be offended.
The two were left: misery and Mercy.
Thus, after examining themselves and declaring everything about themselves by their departure, they left the woman, burdened with great sin, together with Him who was without sin.
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Since she had heard, “Let him who is without sin be the first to cast a stone at her,” she thought that He would punish her, for in Him no sin could be found.
But He had repelled her adversaries with the tongue of righteousness. Raising gentle eyes toward her, He asked her, “Has no one condemned you?”
He granted pardon. Yet in granting pardon He lifted His head and said to her, “Has no one cast a stone at you?”
And she did not say, “Why? What have I done, Lord? Am I guilty?” She did not say this, but said, “No one, Lord,” for she had condemned herself.
They could not approve her, and they hid themselves. But she confessed what the Lord knew perfectly well. Yet He was seeking her faith and confession.
“And has no one cast a stone at you?” She answered, “No one, Lord. No one, because each confessed his sins. And You, Lord, because You have shown mercy. No one, Lord. I understand both.
“I know who You are, and I know who I am. For to You I make confession. For I have heard: ‘Confess to the Lord, for He is good’” (Ps 105:1).
“And I do not condemn you.” What then, Lord? Does this mean that You favor sins? Certainly not. See what follows: “Go, and sin no more.”
Therefore the Lord also condemned, but He condemned the sin, not the human being. If He had favored sins, He would have said, “And I do not condemn you. Go, live as you wish.”
He would have said, “Be assured that I give you freedom. However much you sin, I will deliver you from punishment in Gehenna and from the torments of Hades.” He did not say this.
Let those who love the Lord’s meekness and fear the truth take note. For “the Lord is sweet and righteous” (Ps 24:8). You delight that He is sweet; fear that He is righteous.
The Lord is merciful and gracious. This is true. Add to this, “long-suffering”; add to this, “greatly merciful.” Yet fear what follows: “and true” (Ps 85:15).
Those whom He merely endures when they sin, He will judge if they despise Him.
“Or do you despise the riches of His long-suffering and meekness, not knowing that the patience of God leads you to repentance? But by the hardness of your heart and your impenitent heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself.
“You store it up on the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each according to his works” (Rom 2:4-6).
The Lord is meek, the Lord is long-suffering, the Lord is merciful. Yet the Lord is also righteous, and the Lord is also true.
Time is given to you for amendment. But you love postponing it more than being amended. Were you wicked yesterday? Be good today. Have you spent today in vice? At least change tomorrow.
You are always waiting, and you say much to yourself about the mercy of God. You speak as though He who promised forgiveness for repentance also promised you an easy life.
How do you know what tomorrow will bring? You speak truly in your heart: “When I amend myself, God will forgive me all my transgressions.”
She answered, “No one, Lord.” And He said, “And I do not condemn you, from whose side perhaps you feared receiving punishment, since in Me you found no sin. And I do not condemn you.”
What does this mean, Lord? Are You blessing sins? Not so, of course. Look at what follows: “Go, and from now on sin no more.” Thus the Lord condemned, but He condemned sin, not the human being.
For if He had been a patron of sin, He would have said, “I do not condemn you. Go, live as you wish. Be at ease about My forgiveness.”
He would have said, “However much you sin, I will deliver you from every punishment, even from Gehenna and the tormentors of Hades.” But He did not say this.
Let those who love meekness in the Lord listen to Him, and let them fear justice. For “the Lord is good and righteous” (Ps 24:8). You love Him because He is good; fear Him because He is just.
As meek, He said, “I kept silence.” But as just, He says, “Shall I always keep silence?” (cf. Is 42:14 LXX). “The Lord is merciful and compassionate” (cf. Ps 85:15). This is true.
Add further: long-suffering and abundant in mercy. Yet fear what is said at the end: “and true” (cf. Ps 85:15). For those whom He endures as sinners, He will condemn as despisers.
“Or do you despise the riches of the goodness, meekness, and long-suffering of God, not understanding that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
“But according to your hardness and impenitent heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who renders to each according to his works” (Rom 2:4-6).
The Lord is good, the Lord is long-suffering, the Lord is merciful. Yet the Lord is also just, and the Lord is righteous. He gives you time for amendment, but you love delay more than amendment.
Were you evil yesterday? Become good today. Have you spent today in malice? Change at least tomorrow. You continually delay and expect much for yourself from the mercy of God.
You act as though He who promised you forgiveness through repentance also promised you a longer life. How do you know what tomorrow will bring?
You speak rightly in your heart: “When I amend myself, God will remit all my sins.” We cannot deny that God has promised forgiveness to those who amend themselves and change.
Yet in the prophet where you read that He promised forgiveness to the one who amends himself, you did not read that God promised you a long life.
Thus men are in danger from both sides, from hope and from despair. These are opposite things and opposite dispositions.
Who is deceived by hope? The one who says, “God is good, God is merciful. I will do what I please and what I like. Let me loosen the reins of my desires.
“Let me fulfill the inclinations of my soul. Why? Because God is merciful, God is good, God is meek.” Such people are in danger because of their hope.
Those are in danger because of despair who fall into great transgressions and think they can no longer be forgiven. Believing they are certainly destined for condemnation, they say to themselves:
“We are already destined to be condemned. Why should we not do what we want?” They speak with the disposition of gladiators condemned to perish by the sword.
The despairing are dangerous because they no longer have anything to fear. They themselves must be greatly feared. Despair kills these; hope kills those.
The spirit is tossed between hope and despair. One must fear lest hope kill you, and lest, by relying too greatly on mercy, you fall under condemnation.
Again, one must fear lest despair kill you. You may think that the grave sins you have committed can no longer be remitted. Then you may reject repentance and sentence yourself to the Judgment of Wisdom, which says, “I also will laugh at your destruction” (Prov 1:26).
How, then, does the Lord deal with those seized by either disease? To those endangered by hope He says: “Do not delay to turn to the Lord, and do not put it off from day to day.
“For suddenly His wrath will come, and you will perish in the time of vengeance” (cf. Sir 5:8-9). And what does He say to those endangered by despair?
“On whatever day the lawless man turns back, I will forget all his lawless deeds” (cf. Ezek 18:21-22). For the sake of those endangered by despair, He promised forgiveness.
For the sake of those endangered by hope and deceived about delaying amendment, He made the day of death uncertain. You do not know when the last day will come.
And are you ungrateful for having this present day, when you can be amended?
So He said to that woman: “And I do not condemn you. But, having found peace concerning the past, think about the future. I do not condemn you.
“I have blotted out what you have done. Keep what I have commanded, that you may obtain what I have promised.”