"Jesus Wrote with His Finger on the Ground" | Bible Study w/ Aquinas

This is the second in a three part series we're doing on John 8:1-11 (The woman caught in adultery).
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📖 Here is the text from the ESV:
but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

[@maxstone3779]

The theory I like is that it didn't matter what Jesus wrote. If it was, then it would be included. Instead it was about creating a pause. Making the crowd settle down and focus, so that they would take in what Jesus said next. Kinda like a parent addressing a child who is there to say what their sibling did. Slow down. Let me finish my newspaper article. And then we can talk about what happened. A physical way of trying to put into perspective that they need to stop rushing into judgement.

[@rachelwilson190]

Thank you Matt, I enjoy the fact that you are reading Aquinas's commentary in the moment. The teaching on judging/ judgement is very helpful. It reminds of Jesus saying "take the log out of your own eye first". God bless you and your family.

[@nlcrme]

I'm so glad I found this channel. I wish these Bible Studies would go on for hours and hours. Thank you so much ❤

[@jim-baron]

I’ve also heard it explained that it’s a parallel to Exodus, where the law was written “by the finger of God”. He had to write the commandments twice, and in between, the believers had to be separated from the non-believers. Here again, God writes with His finger two times and separates the faithful from the unfaithful.

[@ChrisTian-tz3eq]

... The Torah: ... "And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and adulteress shall surely be put to death." - Leviticus 20 : 10 The Pharisees only brought the woman. Where was the man?.. That was a violation of the Law right there, convicting one without the other. The Torah :... "At the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; But at the mouth of 1 witness he shall NOT be put to death." - Deuteronomy 17 : 6 Where were the witnesses? They just said that she was "caught in the act", but they didn't say by "whom"? Or how many witnesses? The Torah: ..."The hands of the witnesses shall be the first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So thou shalt put the evil away from among you." - Deuteronomy 17 : 7 The "witnesses" on the scene, (if any) could not, by Law, cast the first stone without the other party to the crime. It's only speculation what Jesus wrote in the sand... Perhaps it was The Law? Perhaps their own sins of adultery? Maybe both? In any event, Jesus, "The Living Torah", Christ passed the test in Not condemning her. : )

[@Ezekiel336-16]

Excellent analysis brother! In Christ, Andrew

[@NickW1333]

I have to say, these Bible studies have been brilliant. Including (especially) the times where Matt processes what Aquinas is writing and the sheer beauty of what Christ says and does.

[@catholicrugbyfan1635]

Thanks Matt. Jer 17:13 as being a key when interpreting John 8. Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in thedust

[@stephenjohn8201]

There's a famous saying: Practice what you preach. If I'm an alcoholic, I have no right to ask others to stop it. Excellent video! God Bless You 🙏

[@bhgtree]

'The woman caught in adultery' is one of my most favorite passages in the Gospels and along with wondering what Jesus wrote. I also often wonder why St John carefully mentioned that Jesus wrote, not once but twice and yet did not say what He wrote. Maybe St John wanted to bring out the point that Jesus was God and Judge (as the Law was written in the OT) and Merciful Savior (who would die for the sins of the world).

[@kimdias15]

Your podcasts have changed my spiritual life for the better- I listen on my daily commute and pray along. Please keep doing these! 💕

[@ChristopherSummer89]

Hey Matt, at 10:45 you seem to boggle at the phrasing "that he sins in justice, but from some evil root", and so did I when I heard and read it, for it seems rather odd, both grammatically and theologically. When someone asked about this passage in the Pints With Aquinas Discussion Group on Facebook, we noticed that the Latin Original of this passage says "cum non moveatur ad hoc amore iustitiae, sed ex aliqua mala radice", which would rather translate to "then he is not moved to it through love of/for justice, but from some bad/evil root", which makes a Lot more Sense. I thought I'd mention it here to increase the Chances that you might see this Bit of Information.

[@TheXone7]

Matt, you are God's messenger among us, Catholics!

[@Tatiana-cp1fc]

Thank you! It was on point.

[@mary_quin]

thank you Matt! Although I may not be able to join your Bible Studies in real time all the time, I still look forward to it every week, because you keep me consistent in my building a sturdier foundation for my faith and with the Lord! I'll be praying for you and your family always, as well as for your platforms, that it may continuously grow and/or have a steady following because of the work and service you do in the name of Jesus, our Lord! God bless always!

[@SC047074]

I think what you explained at the end is a version Exceptionalism .. ‘you can’t do it, but it’s ok for me because God knows my story blah blah blah’ God Bless you Matt and all the awesome Catholic apologists on social media.. your influence has saved and encouraged so many of us. I really love you.

[@cocheze11]

Jeremiah 17:13 O Lord, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You will be put to shame. Those who turn away from You shall be written in the dust, because they have forsaken You the fountain of living water.

[@grailcountry]

I find Rene Girard's explanation on p. 58-60 of I Saw Satan Fall Like Lightning to be quite coherent. Girard doesn't necessarily think Jesus was writing anything in particular at all, to him the bending down is more significant.

[@pollypeguin]

It is a reference to 17:13 Jesus writes in the sand is a reference to the fate of the unjust hypocrites who will be written in the dust of the earth instead of the lamb’s book of life

[@spharion7988]

Keep fighting the good fight and keep the faith

[@1984tr]

THAT WAS GREAT!

[@juliesaddler9775]

Thank you for your studies.

[@dawnfokken1297]

A book I read called "The Day I Met Jesus". It take 5 different women who encounter Jesus and gives them a back story. This was one of the women. It really made me think. Look at this passage from a different perspective. Very good read.

[@austinjackson7103]

That was great, God bless you!

[@bellafloral2622]

Thanks, Matt!

[@Sunshine.Sister]

The hypocrite part reminded me of the man that was forgiven his debts than harassed his fellow servant. I think that’s a good biblical example of hypocrisy.

[@Winnie-Kay]

I've heard that He was writing the law. Because the law is that both the woman and the man were to be charged. So, who of the men accusing is the one that was with her?

[@NaruIchiLuffy]

Is the 10 commandments a possibility for what he wrote? or is there some evidence that excludes it?

[@admininfo536]

Jesus’s point was that judgment itself is the sin, and so the moment you judge another’s so-called sin, you sin also.

[@michaelcary9988]

all this is a very intelligent.. when people say he's a merciful and a just God that is a problem because Mercy is the absence of Justice

[@Ezekiel336-16]

Mercy is a form of God's justice where He does not give us the full measure of what we deserve. Justice devoid of mercy, or the possibility of it, is wrath and tyranny and mercy devoid of all justice, or again the possibility of it, is permissive irresponsibility. And when the latter appears (in our fallen human eyes and thoughts) to happen with God, like with the theif on the cross and death bed conversions, that is justice because Christ paid the penalty to satisfy justice so we could be redeemed when we convert. Nothing good is ever lacking in God, and that includes the union of justice and mercy. In Christ, Andrew

[@thomasgorman6513]

12:09 I literally snorted

[@Ezekiel336-16]

I had a thought after you spoke about a human judge in the justice system passing sentence on a lawbreaker, and it occurred a long the lines of the story of the adultress. Jesus seems to be admonishing us/them for wanting to take the life of someone who (at the time) commited a capital offense. In doing so, it seems as if He is admonishing the death penalty for a sinner that would not allow them the opportunity to repent and have their soul saved. So it's not just the taking of the person's earthly life He is warning against, but also the taking of their eternal one as well - and unjustly so by anyone guilty of facing the same consequence who may be wanting to administer the punishment from their own unrepentant hands (or advocating for it by another who is also unrepentant). So it's the admonishment of the death penalty when it can lead to the eternal death of one or more people. None of which He desires go to hELL, even though they may (by His judgement and not our own). Thoughts? In Christ, Andrew

[@thomasdonlin5456]

What about Jeremiah 17:13

[@gilbertmanullang9530]

I like you matt from indonesia

[@1907jdee]

Where's the first part of this series?

[@Harshchhabraofficial]

Matt please reply, is this story historically accurate?

[@renjithjoseph7135]

He won't get to reply until September. It's part of the gospel, which are biographies, written in a particular style. The gospel is God-breathed and inerrant so I'm not sure why the historical accuracy would be in question. If you want to discuss the point, what did you mean by your original question?

[@intersabellos2482]

Renjith Joseph I think he is referring to the Pericope Adulturae problem in textual criticism.

[@Harshchhabraofficial]

@@intersabellos2482 yeah ofcourse yr right

[@intersabellos2482]

Harsh Chhabra Well, I would say it’s accurate. There isn’t much evidence to prove it was part of the original manuscript of St. John, however. That said, it is still canonical scripture, and therefore there is absolutely no reason why it shouldn’t be in Holy Scripture. If you ask a scholar, the only answer they can say in their competency would be, “I don’t know. I wasn’t there.” So I wouldn’t worry since 1) There is nothing doctrinally wrong with the story itself 2) The Church canonised it and 3) It could very well have been one of the countless things done by Our Lord that wasn’t original to the text, but still occurred and was common knowledge. Don’t let it bother you too much.

[@Harshchhabraofficial]

@@intersabellos2482 thanks brother i also strongly believe in that story was true but have some questions thanks for your answer i appreciate that.