Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I have always wondered what Jesus wrote when the scribes and Pharisees brought the woman caught in adultery for judgement. He says nothing to them as they accuse her but bends down to write something on the ground. I have found many authors and theologians who suggest that the Lord began to write the sins of those who accused her. “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Without a word spoken, perhaps Jesus revealed to those eager to accuse the real state of their souls.

Recently, I came across another perspective on this scene. St. Bede the Venerable wrote about this episode that Jesus is both reminding the witnesses that He is Lord of the law, He is just in all things, and that His very act of writing on the ground is both an extension of mercy to the adulterous woman and to her accusers. “When the Lord was about to give pardon to the sinful woman, he desired to write with his finger on the ground, in order to point out that it was he himself who once wrote the Ten Commandments of the law on stone with his finger, that is, by the Holy Spirit. And it is good that the law was written upon stone, since it was given to subdue the inmost hearts of a hard-hearted and defiant people.” Perhaps Jesus simply wrote the Ten Commandments that day, but inscribed in the earth by the literal hand of God-Incarnate must have been resonated powerfully in the hearts of those who saw Him. St. Bede continues (and he bears quoting at length):

“In line with our usual human way of doing things, we can understand that the reason why the Lord might wish to bend before his unprincipled tempters and to write on the ground was that by directing his look elsewhere he might give them the freedom to go away. He foresaw that as they had been astounded by his answer, they would be more inclined to depart quickly than to ask more questions…Figuratively speaking, the fact that both before and after he gave his opinion he bent and wrote on the ground admonishes us that both before we rebuke a sinning neighbor and after we have rendered him the ministry of due correction, we should subject ourselves to a suitably humble examination, lest perhaps we be entangled in the same things that we censure in our neighbors or in any other sort of misdeeds. For it often comes about, for example, that people who publicly judge a murderer to be a sinner may not perceive the worse evil of the hatred with which they themselves despoil someone in secret. People who bring an accusation against a fornicator may ignore the plague of the pride with which they congratulate themselves for their own chastity. People who condemn a drunkard may not see the venom of envy with which they themselves are eaten away. In dangers of this sort, what saving remedy is left for us except that, when we look at some other sinner, we immediately bend down – that is, we humbly observe how we would be cast down by our frail condition if divine benevolence did not keep us from falling? Let us write with a finger on the ground – that is…let us painstakingly remember that if our heart censures us, God is greater than our heart and he knows all things.”

Whether we are the one accused or the one making the accusation, Jesus will show us mercy. While we might be convicted of our sin, He will not condemn us to the full justice of the law when we seek mercy. “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on, do not sin anymore.”

Peace,

Fr. Sam