This past Sunday we heard the famous incident in Jesus’ ministry when the Pharisees presented an adulterous woman to Him, asking his opinion as to her just punishment. Their intent was to trap Jesus by leading him to contradict the Law of Moses. What the Pharisees received in turn was a reminder of their own sinfulness: “Let the one among you who is without sin cast the first stone.” Slowly they all drifted away because they knew their own sinfulness.
What is interesting about this story is the fact that Jesus may have revealed to the Pharisees in a concrete way that he also knew their sins and would be willing to offer them the same forgiveness that he was to give to the adulterous woman.
More specifically, the Fathers of the Church asked the question: what was Jesus writing on the ground when the Pharisees were speaking to Him? We need to recall that the vast majority of those standing around both Jesus and the Pharisees would have been illiterate. It is feasible to think that the only ones who knew how to read and write could have been the Pharisees and the Lord. If so, the Fathers speculated that what Jesus was writing on the ground were the sins of the Pharisees, for them to read clearly. What a shock it must have been for them to realize that they were unable to hide their sins from the Lord. What they did not understand was that the Lord, knowing their sins, like he did of the adulterous woman, still loved them and was willing to forgive them, if only they asked for the gift.
The woman was ready to acknowledge her sins and to seek forgiveness. The Pharisees were not.
What about you and me?
The previous reflection originally appeared on Bishop Frank Caggiano’s Facebook page. Follow the Bishop for daily reflections and weekly homilies.
