Breaking the Word

…Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?" They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She replied, "No one, sir." Then Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go, (and) from now on do not sin any more." (Jn 8, 1-11)

He bent down…write (twice)…Then he straightened up (twice)… 

In the Old Testament, the word ‘write’ appears in the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy in connection with the commandments. That is, the Lord writes the commandments or he asks Moses to write them down. (Ex 17, 14; 34, 1. 27; Deut 6, 9; 10, 2; 11, 20; 27, 3; 31, 19)

Nobody knows, of course, what Jesus was writing on the ground. We can guess if we like; maybe he was writing lists of their sins, maybe he was writing some laws etc. I would like to guess that he was writing laws and these are the laws he openly said when he straightened up: "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."

Then again he bent down to write a second law and he said it openly when he straightened up: "Neither do I condemn you. Go, (and) from now on do not sin any more."

The symbolic action of Jesus bending down, is to look at ones own self and not at others. For looking at ones own self will make him/her feel who he/she really is. Looking into others, one always compares and says that he /she is better of. Bending down and looking at oneself against the law gives the right picture of the self.

As the story presents, Jesus gives us two laws to deal with, when we are faced with people who have committed grave sins.  The first law is to look into ourselves and judge for ourselves whether we are without sin and the second law is assist the sinner not to sin again.

Both the laws are tough to practice, but not for Jesus (and godly persons).

Some in the crowd who heard these words said, "This is truly the Prophet." Others said, "This is the Messiah." But others said, "The Messiah will not come from Galilee, will he? Does not scripture say that the Messiah will be of David's family and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?" So a division occurred in the crowd because of him. Some of them even wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why did you not bring him?" The guards answered, "Never before has anyone spoken like this one." So the Pharisees answered them, "Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed." Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them, "Does our law condemn a person before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?" They answered and said to him, "You are not from Galilee also, are you? Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee."(Jn 7, 40-53)

There was a division among the people regarding Jesus. One group was looking at Jesus positively and tried to understand him as to who he was. Though their understanding, often, did not reach the correct view of him. And there was another group that did not want to have any right opinion on him. They objected to any view presented about him.

This division was not only on the opinion about Jesus but it also divided the people. The Galileans were posed against the others. And the people were divided one against the other on account of Jesus.

But the mission of Jesus was to unite all the people into one nation in God and to bring all creation into one.

Today’s reading does not give any solution but it only presents the situation. But if we look at the underlying element of the situation, then we come to realize that only those who were in authority did not understand correctly, who Jesus was.

Authority and power are given to lead people and to lead them to God. Authority and power belong to God (For, yours is the kingdom and power and glory O God) and they are given by God to men.

But, authority and power blind people, they even blind people not to see God (in Jesus) in others.