What was Jesus writing in the dust when the Scribes and Pharisees tried to trap him with the woman caught in adultery? This morning's gospel relates the tale: if he condemned her he would be contradicting his teaching on forgiveness and being on the side of the sinner. If he did not condemn her he would be contradicting his teaching that he came to fulfill the law and the prophets.
In fact, the riddle of what he was writing in the dust is resolved by the first and greatest Bible scholar, St Jerome. He picks up that Jesus' action is an allusion to Jeremiah 17:13. Remember that Jesus is preaching and living in the tradition of the prophets who not only spoke God's word, but acted out God's word in dramatic actions. So when Jesus writes in the dust he echoes the verse in Jeremiah, "O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the LORD, the spring of living water." Jesus is writing the names of the Scribes and Pharisees in the dust, and saying that they have turned away from the Lord, the hope of Israel.
There's more: the Jews--especially these Scribes and Pharisees would have known the Old Testament scriptures upside down and backwards. This dramatic action alluding to Jeremiah 17:13 would have brought up not only that verse, but the whole passage, and here are some other telling verses from that chapter:The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."
Whoa! Jesus is using the very words of the Old Testament that these men knew and loved so well to condemn them. He doesn't even have to speak those words. He simply makes a silent action of writing in the dust, knowing that all these words would come springing into their minds, and as they do he is saying to them, "Your hearts are deceitful and beyond cure." Furthermore he is saying to them, "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."
Then when he knelt to write in the dust a second time what did he write? I think he wrote the secret sin of each man next to his name.
No wonder they went slinking off to plan how to kill him.
12 comments:
And here I thought this mornings Gospel was about Lazarus? I might doze off in the homily, but I can't sleep standing up. :)
I've also heard that since the Pharisees considered themselves as free from sin this was a counter trap as if they really believed themselves free from sin as they portrayed themselves then they should have thrown the stones- but they would have also risked being taken captive by the Romans for performing capital punishment. The trap that they set was reversed.
Also of note, the oldest and wisest left first, followed by the rest of the Pharisees.
And, just where was the man? If they caught the woman, why didn't they also bring the man?
Cliff, If the Mass you went to did the RCIA readings today then you would have heard the Gospel about Lazarus.
I don't think Jesus was writing but drawing or, as we should say, "doodling"- and thereby showing a studied unconcern for the pharisees and their trick question.
Thank you for the Jeremiah ref. Since Jesus' actions were purposeful, I really appreciate this explanation. Enjoyed seeing you in Raleigh. AnneG
The first question that popped into my mind at Mass this morning was, Where is the man who was with her? In his homily, the deacon speculated on an answer: the whole thing was a conspiracy. He may have even been given the task of seducing the woman, which explains how the rest of them knew just when to come in and catch them in the act. This explanation makes the sin of the Pharisees and scribes far greater, and it would have been fresh in their minds. No wonder not one of them would so much as toss a pebble.
If this scenario is true, then the woman was duped into sin, which makes Jesus' quick forgiveness of her evne more poignant.
I like your version Father - I never knew of it before. Thanks.
The Lazarus gospel went with the Scrutinies of catechumens and candidates. Everybody else got the woman caught in adultery.
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This scripture confuses me greatly (Jeremiah 17:13)
As per the NAB, this passage is" O hope of Israel, O LORD! all who forsake you shall be in disgrace; The rebels in the land shall be put to shame; they have forsaken the source of living waters (the LORD)."
Isn't this different from " Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the LORD, the spring of living water"
I have always pondered on why Jesus wrote in sand. The only answer which comes close, is the one you described. Yet, when I see the other translations, it puts me in a tizzy.
Our priest said that the Lord was doodling to give himself time to come up with a clever way to get out of a sticky situation... That the Pharisees had "gotten" Jesus, trapped him, and he could not see a way out.
Now, that would be insulting our Lord's intelligence, wouldn't it.
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