The Writing on the Wall and the Writing in the Sand

The Writing on the Wall has a contemporary feel about it evoking images of graffiti, often with a political angle, scrawled on city walls yet it goes back over 2,000 years to the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament. Its message was concentrated into three words for all to see. The problem was that no one understood what they meant. They were “interpreted” by Daniel and were unambiguous, forecasting the downfall of a king and his people who had turned their backs on God. On the other hand Jesus´s writing in the sand, when he taunted the Pharisees to cast the first stone at the woman accused of adultery in the New Testament (John 8), is even less clear and we do not have Daniel around to interpret it for us.

Whereas the writing on the wall is directed at an institutional force that encompasses us all whether we like it or not, i.e. a king and his kingdom, the writing in the sand is directed at us as individuals. King Belshazzar was initially terrified when the writing on the wall appeared in front of him yet when Daniel told him what it meant he ignored the warning. Within a matter of hours he was dead when the Medes who had been besieging his city broke through its defenses, slew him and overthrew his dynasty.

The opposite happened with the writing in the sand. When the Pharisees saw what Jesus had written they recognized its significance immediately and left. By doing so they were acknowledging their sins. Pharisees were not known for their meekness and this episode highlights not only Jesus´s dominant personality but his insight into the darkest corners of their hearts and the heart of every sinner. The Pharisees knew he could see all the sins each of them had committed and they fled in fear and shame. Yet it is worth noting that Jesus did not divulge these sins or single anyone out for rebuke. For their sakes let us hope  the Pharisees repented sincerely. Just as he was lenient with the Pharisees, Jesus asked little of the woman. He does not even ask for her thanks although he has just saved her life but merely tells her to go away and not sin again.

The writing on the wall and the writing in the sand is for all of us. What we see ahead is not always clear. The view may be blurred and obscured by mist and fog but suddenly the clouds melt away and everything is seen in sharp focus like a mountain peak above or a path which opens at our feet.

© John Brander Fitzpatrick 2025