I think Jesus was very aware that they were trying to test him. I'm sure they were frothing at the bit at the thought of finally tricking into Jesus messing up. I can almost hear the jeering crowd of scribes and Pharisees pushing in to get to Jesus, excited as little kids to tattle-tale on others doing wrong. They didn't really care about the woman's sin; they were just using her as an excuse. I'm sure the frenzied and excited mood of the crowd was palpable.
Understanding all this. Jesus de-escalates the situation by staying calm. Before he says anything, he writes on the ground. I think that is an important distinction. Not drawing or doodling, but writing specifically. I wondered what he wrote. Maybe he wrote what he said. Maybe he referenced something from the Old Testament that made them stop and think.
Jesus seemed have a thoughtful air around him and it carried to the whole crowd. I can almost see the affect it had on them: everyone was waiting for what Jesus had to say with bated breath and then watching him silently as he wrote on the ground. It doesn't say for how long they stood there and watched him. But I don't think that Jesus was in any hurry. I can almost see him very carefully and purposely begin writing in the dirt. This action made them lower their eyes and watch his fingers as he wrote each letter until he was done. Only then did he straightened up and say something.
Jesus gave them time to calm themselves down and then made them reflect on their own sins. It specifically said that the elders left first. Maybe that's because they have accumulated more sin over the years, or maybe they realize they had better things to do at this point in their lives.
It is interesting that writing was a part of this de-escalation process. Just like I mentioned in another Spiritual Sunday, words are powerful. The words he wrote and the words he said were so powerful that it completely changed the outcome for that woman. There is no mistaking that she would have been stoned otherwise.
Words calm us down and make us think and reflect before we carelessly rush to judgment and action.
John 8:1-11
Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. 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 anymore."
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