WEBVTT 00:00:01.520 --> 00:00:06.639 There's a thread that runs through both readings today, and if you miss it, you miss everything. 00:00:06.799 --> 00:00:10.960 And it's this not all accusations are true. 00:00:11.199 --> 00:00:13.199 Not all who judge are just. 00:00:13.679 --> 00:00:17.280 Not all who are condemned are guilty. 00:00:17.839 --> 00:00:23.760 In the first reading, Susanna is innocent, completely innocent, and yet she's dragged into public judgment. 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:28.320 Not because of truth, but because of lust, power, and manipulation. 00:00:28.640 --> 00:00:36.640 Two men, respected, religious leaders, use their position to lie, to control the narrative, to destroy her. 00:00:36.880 --> 00:00:38.960 And the people, what do they do? 00:00:39.200 --> 00:00:42.240 Well, they believe it because it looks credible. 00:00:42.560 --> 00:00:44.479 It sounds official. 00:00:45.039 --> 00:00:47.439 Comes from people in authority. 00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:51.200 And an innocent woman is almost put to death. 00:00:52.159 --> 00:00:56.640 Now hold that because when we come to the gospel, what do we see? 00:00:56.799 --> 00:01:01.920 Well, another woman dragged, exposed, placed in the middle, accused. 00:01:02.159 --> 00:01:02.960 Do you see it? 00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:05.200 Same scene, different ending. 00:01:05.519 --> 00:01:06.879 But here's the twist. 00:01:07.120 --> 00:01:10.079 In the gospel, the woman is actually guilty. 00:01:10.400 --> 00:01:13.439 In the first reading, the woman is completely innocent. 00:01:13.680 --> 00:01:17.280 And yet in both cases the crowd is ready to destroy. 00:01:17.920 --> 00:01:19.280 Here's the teaching. 00:01:19.439 --> 00:01:20.719 Listen carefully. 00:01:21.040 --> 00:01:28.799 Human judgment is dangerous because we're very quick to condemn and very slow to examine ourselves. 00:01:29.040 --> 00:01:32.319 In Susanna's story, the judges are corrupt. 00:01:32.480 --> 00:01:35.680 In the gospel, the accusers are hypocrites. 00:01:35.920 --> 00:01:40.480 And in both cases, the system fails until God intervenes. 00:01:41.359 --> 00:01:48.560 In the first reading, we see how God raises up Daniel, a young man, not powerful, not established, but clear. 00:01:48.799 --> 00:01:50.319 And he exposes the lie. 00:01:50.400 --> 00:01:51.840 He separates the voices. 00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:55.439 He demands truth, and suddenly everything collapses. 00:01:55.840 --> 00:01:58.959 And in the gospel, God Himself stands there. 00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:01.280 Jesus doesn't argue the law. 00:02:01.439 --> 00:02:02.640 He doesn't debate. 00:02:02.879 --> 00:02:04.959 He does something far more dangerous. 00:02:05.120 --> 00:02:06.799 He turns the spotlight. 00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:12.560 He says, Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone. 00:02:12.960 --> 00:02:16.159 And just like that, the accusers become the accused. 00:02:17.039 --> 00:02:18.240 This is the moment. 00:02:18.400 --> 00:02:21.280 This is where the gospel hits us hard. 00:02:21.919 --> 00:02:26.639 Because we want justice until it turns towards us. 00:02:27.680 --> 00:02:29.840 And one by one they walked away. 00:02:30.080 --> 00:02:31.199 Because they know. 00:02:32.400 --> 00:02:35.520 Now here's where people misunderstand this gospel. 00:02:35.759 --> 00:02:37.439 They think it's about being nice. 00:02:37.599 --> 00:02:38.319 Well, no. 00:02:38.479 --> 00:02:42.159 It's about truth and mercy meeting together as one. 00:02:42.800 --> 00:02:44.560 Because they look at what Jesus does. 00:02:44.719 --> 00:02:48.800 He protects her from death, but he does not pretend that her sin doesn't matter. 00:02:48.960 --> 00:02:49.599 What does he say? 00:02:49.680 --> 00:02:51.840 He goes, Neither do I condemn you. 00:02:52.080 --> 00:02:53.280 That's mercy. 00:02:53.680 --> 00:02:55.439 Go and sin no more. 00:02:55.599 --> 00:02:56.960 That's truth. 00:02:57.919 --> 00:03:01.919 And if you remove either one, you no longer have Christianity. 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:03.120 You have sentiment. 00:03:03.439 --> 00:03:05.199 You have cruelty. 00:03:05.919 --> 00:03:07.439 But not the gospel. 00:03:07.840 --> 00:03:09.680 So here's the challenge. 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:12.800 This is where it gets uncomfortable. 00:03:13.120 --> 00:03:15.039 Where are you in this story? 00:03:15.360 --> 00:03:16.479 Because you're in it. 00:03:16.639 --> 00:03:17.599 We're all in it. 00:03:17.840 --> 00:03:28.319 Some of you in the crowd, quick to judge, quick to assume, quick to condemn, living off partial truth, half stories, appearances. 00:03:28.479 --> 00:03:30.479 We don't know the whole story. 00:03:30.800 --> 00:03:34.719 Some of you are the elders, not in action, but in heart. 00:03:35.039 --> 00:03:40.560 Allowing things like pride, ego, desire, resentment to distort your judgment. 00:03:40.800 --> 00:03:48.960 Some of you are the women, carrying real sin, real mistakes, real shame, and wondering, is there a way back from all of this? 00:03:49.280 --> 00:03:57.280 And some of you need to become Daniel, the one who refuses injustice, the one who says, This is not right. 00:03:58.000 --> 00:03:59.919 Even when it costs something. 00:04:00.479 --> 00:04:02.000 But here's the center of it all. 00:04:02.159 --> 00:04:03.039 Don't miss this. 00:04:03.360 --> 00:04:05.360 God sees what is hidden. 00:04:06.080 --> 00:04:11.039 In Susanna's story, O eternal God, you know what is hidden. 00:04:11.360 --> 00:04:13.599 And in the gospel, Jesus proves it. 00:04:13.840 --> 00:04:17.920 He sees everything, not just her sin, their sin, your sin, my sin. 00:04:18.079 --> 00:04:19.439 He sees everything. 00:04:19.680 --> 00:04:22.560 And yet he does not destroy, he restores. 00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:27.040 That's the difference between human judgment and divine judgment. 00:04:27.360 --> 00:04:31.920 We are very quick and very good at exposing shame. 00:04:32.480 --> 00:04:35.519 God exposes to be able to heal. 00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:40.639 So here's what we have for today: three things. 00:04:40.800 --> 00:04:50.800 Drop the stones, stop pretending you're the judge, standing in the truth, stop hiding beneath behind appearances, receive mercy and change. 00:04:51.199 --> 00:04:53.360 Not stay the same. 00:04:53.680 --> 00:04:54.319 Change. 00:04:55.040 --> 00:05:01.439 Because the most dangerous thing of the world is not being accused, it's being blind to your own sin. 00:05:02.240 --> 00:05:08.319 The most powerful thing of the world is not being perfect, it's being forgiven and transformed. 00:05:09.040 --> 00:05:11.279 So today let God be the judge. 00:05:11.519 --> 00:05:14.240 Let Christ be the one who speaks into your life. 00:05:14.399 --> 00:05:19.920 And when he does, don't run, don't hide, don't justify, listen. 00:05:20.720 --> 00:05:27.839 Because the same voice that says, Neither do I condemn you, is the same voice that says, Go and sin no more. 00:05:28.319 --> 00:05:28.959 Amen.