Is Jesus For or Against the Death Penalty?

by Sr Amy McFrederick ~ March 10, 2008, 5th week of Lent

Scripture Readings:  Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 and John 8: 1-11

Today’s readings make a strong case for abolishing the death penalty.  I don’t know about you, but each time I listen to that first reading, I feel my ire rising at the injustice being done to Susanna, and at the end when she is exonerated and the two elders are punished with the same penalty they sought to inflict on Susanna, I must confess—my first response is “it serves them right”, and I feel a bit justified in feeling glad they were put to death. But, the Gospel verse quotes Ezekiel 33:11 in which God says “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked one, but rather in their conversion, that they may live.”  And I am once again called to conversion.

In our Gospel, Jesus is confronted by the authorities who seek to entrap him by seeking his opinion on this very controversial issue: how a woman (but not the man) taken in the act of adultery should be punished. They know that the Law explicitly states that anyone guilty of adultery should be stoned to death. So this is another case where the person without status in the prevailing power structure is the one who is set up to take the wrap.  But Jesus simply says, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” You can’t help but be glad when in the story, one by one, all those present walk away for their own secret reasons. Since Jesus doesn’t believe that capitol punishment is the solution for curbing adultery, he tells the woman, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”  He believes that a person who repents can start a new life, and could even be strengthened in their choice to live a virtuous life, like Peter whose denials probably gave more fuel for his fidelity afterwards,

In the first reading, when two elders accuse Susanna of sin, because of their senior status and nobility they are believed by the crowd and Susanna is unanimously condemned to be stoned to death. Though Susanna continues to proclaim her innocence, she is totally ignored until “the holy spirit of a young boy named Daniel” rises up and he calls a halt to the whole charade.  Because he sees the truth and bravely speaks up in her behalf, and by his wise questioning of the two men separately, Susanna is exonerated, and the life of another innocent person condemned to capitol punishment is spared.

What both of these readings seem to be saying is: 1) that capitol punishment is a very flawed way of handling social problems; 2) that innocent people are often condemned and killed while the guilty run free;  and 3) that people guilty of sin with inspired help may be capable of rehabilitation, and 4) that one person, speaking up in the name of truth and justice, mercy and challenge can make a big difference in favor of life.

Our readings also challenge us to examine our own hearts to see if we share the same spirit of Christ when we see or hear of persons—whether guilty or innocent—being pointed out as deserving some kind of punishment. Since we as a community have taken a corporate stance against the death penalty, today is a good day to pray for all those on death row, and also that all of the states in our country will soon do away with capitol punishment as so many other civilized countries have already done.