C.S. Lewis wrote that all the worst sins are “purely spiritual: the pleasure of putting other people in the wrong, of bossing and patronizing and spoiling sport, and back-biting, the pleasures of power, of hatred.”

In today’s readings we see two examples of women accused of adultery. And yet, these women are not necessarily the focus of the readings. Instead, the focus is really on the men and the elders who accused the women of adultery. It is the sins of the men that Daniel calls out in the first reading, the sins of the Scribes and Pharisees that Jesus calls out in the Gospel.

Interestingly, the gospel reading tells us that the Pharisees and the Scribes were only trying to test Jesus so that they could have some charge to bring against him – they did not really care what happened to the woman they accused. It seems what these elders, Scribes and Pharisees were guilty of in these readings were the “purely spiritual” sins of putting others “in the wrong.” In response to their attempts at condemning Jesus and the woman, Jesus says “let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

The challenge of this Gospel is to recognize our own sins, especially those that are hidden from the world. Some people’s sins might be visible to the world, and it may be easy and tempting to call those out and to demand that people are condemned. It is harder to interrogate why we feel we must publicize the sins of others. There is a difference between condemning actions and calling out injustices, and condemning people and their failures. Sometimes justice might demand that we hold others accountable and that we bring to light certain failures. But we have to ask ourselves: is it justice we seek or is it the pleasure of power or hatred?

This Lent, may God grant us the wisdom to see our own failures, especially those we hide from the world, and the grace to be more generous and compassionate towards those whose failings are made public.