In today’s reflection, we look at two stories. The first comes from the Book of Daniel and the story of Susanna, who is unjustly accused. The second story comes from the Gospel of John with the woman caught in adultery. In the tradition of the Church, these two accounts are often told as two sides of the same coin—one representing perfect justice and the other perfect mercy.
In ancient Babylon, a beautiful and devout woman named Susanna is cornered in her private garden by two “elders”—judges who were supposed to be the moral backbone of the community. They give her a horrific choice: submit to them, or they will testify that they caught her with a young lover.
Susanna chooses death over sin. As she is led to execution, the young Daniel stops the crowd. He uses sharp, human wisdom to cross-examine the elders separately. When their stories about which tree they saw her under don’t match, their lie is exposed. Susanna is saved because she is innocent, and the corrupt elders are punished.
Centuries later, another group of religious leaders—the Scribes and Pharisees—drag a woman before Jesus. This time, there is no question of a false accusation as she is “caught in the very act” of adultery. The leaders aren’t interested in her; they are focused on using her as a trap to see whether Jesus will contradict the Law of Moses.
Jesus doesn’t look for a legal loophole or for a conflicting testimony. Instead of examining the woman’s case, he examines the accusers’ hearts. He stoops to write in the dust and says, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” One by one, the elders walk away.
The two stories meet at the feet of the “Judges.” Daniel saves the woman by proving the world is wrong (the law was being misapplied on an innocent person). Jesus saves the woman by proving the world is hypocritical (the law was being used as a weapon by fellow sinners).
In the first story, God saves a saint from a lie. In the second, God saves a sinner from the truth. Together, they show a God who protects the righteous but also offers a way out to the fallen; the first receives God’s perfect justice, and the second receives God’s perfect mercy.
