Crowd of Untruth

My morning reading led me to a quote from the Danish philosopher, theologian and poet, Søren Kierkegaard:

“The crowd is untruth.”

The reading was from John’s biography of Jesus, chapter 8 verses 2-11. This story has so many layers and insights, but I’ll try and stay focused to what came undone for me in this particular reading.

At dawn Jesus appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

The religious elite came to Jesus with a woman who was clearly guilty, and then they pointed to the Bible (Law or Torah) to solidify their case. Let’s not miss that, they essentially say to Jesus, “the Bible says we are to stone her to death, what do you say?” Or said another way, “We’re just being Biblical, Jesus, what will you do with that?”

And the Bible does say this, in two different forms and places, Leviticus 20:10 and Deuteronomy 22:22-24.

Jesus seems to be in quite a quandary. Go against the Bible or condemn the woman?

Before a response, one more question. Why stoning? This is fascinating, because stoning was a communal activity. Each person in the community can participate in judging and condemning, but then walk away and say they didn't kill the accused, they merely threw a stone.

The religious elite are using the Bible to form a mob, which is a human phenomenon acting as a fierce tornado of chaos.

Now, onto Jesus’s response. “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

In one brilliant sentence Jesus untangles the mob, and asks each person to acknowledge their own heart of judgment and condemnation.

Which leads to Kierkegaard’s quote, “The crowd is untruth.”

A mob often gives permission to act on opinion and group think, yet walk away without self-reflection and individual responsibility.

With a mirror held up to their own heart, “those who heard began to go away one at a time…”

I bless you God for this season of Lent. A time of being drawn out of the mob, in order to face the self. To recognize and confess, while being forgiven and loved.