Why I rearrange the dishwasher (and when I shouldn’t)
If you’re looking for a gospel where Jesus does a lot of things, John is not the one you’re seeking. Unlike Mark, which maintains a fast pace of activity, John is more of a long conversation broken up by a few events and scene changes.
We’re eight chapters into John, and all that Jesus has done so far is the following:
- He’s called his disciples
- He’s turned water into wine
- He’s flipped tables in the Jerusalem temple
- He’s healed people
- He’s fed 5,000 people
- He’s walked on water
The rest of the time he’s been engaged in conversation or debate, whether with his disciples, individuals, or with wider audiences.
Now we find Jesus in Jerusalem at the Festival of Booths, a major religious observation during which “families and communities are required to live in booths reminiscent of the temporary dwellings in which the Israelites lived during their forty-year wandering in the desert.” (Reinhartz, loc. 42724) This was a setting that offered many opportunities for Jesus to engage with religious leaders. And engage he does, except at one point the dialogue and reaction is interrupted by the following story.
Jesus is teaching in the temple when some scribes and Pharisees show up with a woman who has been caught in adultery. (Her male counterpart is notably absent.) They remind Jesus that, according to the law of Moses, she should be stoned to death for her transgression. They’re looking for some reaction from Jesus, who defies their expectations by writing on the ground with his finger. We don’t know exactly what he wrote, but it did not stop their questions. He replies by saying “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then he writes on the ground again. One by one, the woman’s accusers leave the scene. Once they are gone, Jesus reassures the woman that he does not condemn her, and he advises her not to sin again.
This story doesn’t fit with most of the narrative you find in John, and there’s a reason for that. It appeared in some early manuscripts of Luke’s gospel, though not all of them. (Reinhartz, loc. 43775) Like the other stories about Jesus that found their way into the gospels, it circulated orally for years before it was written down. Recall that the early disciples believed Jesus would return during their lifetimes, so what would be the point in recording such things?
So it was eventually written down by Luke or some of his scribes, was removed for whatever reason, but the story was ultimately judged to be too important to lose. The final editors of John found a home for it in this setting, which matches the Jerusalem setting in which it took place in Luke.
Why is it so significant? In this interaction, Jesus asserts his role as judge, and at the same time demonstrates that his judgment is different that that offered by humankind. He redirects “the issue to the sin of the accusers rather than their witness.” (Holmes, 279) Instead of acknowledging the witnesses to the adultery, he — as Bible scholar Laura Sweat Holmes puts it — “called for a broadened interpretation. He did not denigrate the status of the law but debated its meaning and interpretation. The law required two witnesses. Jesus insisted that he was one and his Father the other.” (Holmes, 287)
What did Jesus write on the ground that led the accusers to walk away? Perhaps it was something that specified some of the sins of those who wished to stone the woman. Perhaps it was something that recalled a time they received mercy. Perhaps it was Hebrew scripture stating that justice belongs to God. Regardless, it’s a reminder that we should not be quick to judge, especially when someone’s life hangs in the balance.
Are you familiar with the Enneagram? It bears a similarity to personality tests such as the Myers-Briggs, but it’s better described by Ian Morgan Cron as “an ancient personality typing system [that] helps people understand who they are and what makes them tick.” (Cron, 10) There are nine personality types, and you can learn more about what yours might be by taking an inventory online. There are several available, with some being more involved (and reliable) than others.
I’ve taken some of those inventories, and every time I come up an Enneagram 1. And when I read about that type in Cron’s book, The Road Back to You, most of the characteristics click. And that brings me back to the topic of judgment, because the #1 item on the book’s list of “What it’s like to be a One” is “People have told me I can be overly critical and judgmental.” (Cron, 90) Uh-oh.
Something that’s important to remember about the Enneagram, though, is that your type is more about your tendencies than your behavior. Some tendencies are positive; for instance, Ones are often good at following through, spending money carefully, and pursuing improvement for ourselves and the world. On the other hand, we also have trouble forgiving, we worry a lot, and we’re not good at relaxing.
So on a bad day, our anger and impatience sit close to the surface as we point out mistakes and assert our understanding of how things are best accomplished. On a good day, Ones withhold judgment while working efficiently toward common goals.
Do you have any Enneagram Ones in your life? Cron suggests that “if you suspect someone’s a One but you’re not sure, watch how they react when they open a dishwasher someone else has loaded.” If they begin to mutter and rearrange its contents, you’ve likely identified a One. (Cron, 96)
You can argue the merits of dishwasher rearranging, but a One who is not behaving in a healthy fashion is not helping themselves nor those around them. And that is true of the other Enneagram types as well; there’s a healthy version of each, and an unhealthy version of each.
Studying the Enneagram has helped me understand myself better, and it’s helped me understand others better as well. We all have a “good day” version of ourselves, as well as a “bad day” version. And while outside circumstances can have some effect on what type of day I have, there are also practices I can employ that help hold my bad tendencies at bay. For instance, I can limit my consumption of the news — which often suggests the world is not becoming a better place — to certain times each day. Rather than providing unsolicited grammar corrections to those around me, I can limit such indulgences to my @apostropheoops Instagram account. And to keep the impatience that leads to poor behavior in check, I can engage in spiritual practices such as centering prayer and outdoor walks, which help put minute things into perspective.
Do I still have a tendency toward judgment and criticism? Sure. But when I devote my energy toward my better tendencies, I can be a positive force and live a healthier life. I might still rearrange the dishwasher from time to time, but only when no one is looking, so as not to offend.
Returning to today’s passage, after Jesus finishes speaking to the woman who was to be stoned, he shifts his attention to the crowd. He addresses the Jews who had believed in him, saying “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
The last part of this phrase is cited more often than the first. I believe one of the buildings at my college had it carved on the exterior. Jesus is not talking about truth — ἀλήθεια in Greek — in the general sense, however. The truth he offers comes when one follows his teachings. Those who do so adopt a way of life that runs counter to that of dominant society.
Some in his audience take exception, saying “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?”
Jesus replies by suggesting they are slaves to sin, too often giving in to their worst tendencies. They are not acting like descendants of Abraham, who demonstrated hospitality to three “divinely sent guests” who showed up at his tent centuries before. (Reinhartz, loc. 43827) He isn’t denying their lineage, but that lineage doesn’t determine whether they are in good standing in regards to the covenant God made with Abraham. Jesus looks at their actions to determine that, and finds some in the audience coming up short. (Holmes, 296) Holmes writes that in John’s gospel, “Jesus and truth are synonymous. Knowing the truth meant knowing Jesus.” (Holmes, 294)
You’ll find multiple references to ἀλήθεια, or truth, in John, and you’ll also find what are known as the “I Am” statements. One appears in today’s passage. Jesus says “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
Bible scholar Susan Miller writes that “The ‘I Am’ sayings associate Jesus with the deepest needs of human beings. . . . Light is an image for revelation and understanding. Jesus brings light to the world because he brings understanding to humanity.” (Miller, 235)
Again Jesus points to the way of life he offers as the better path. And while we think of these debates taking place while Jesus was alive, they also point to the context in which John’s gospel was written decades later. After the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, the Jews who recognized Jesus as the Messiah are in conflict with those who have not. Thus the many debates about his divinity that you find in John were debates that were still taking place late in the first century.
It sounds like following Jesus in the context of a society that emphasizes different values was as much of a challenge 2,000 years ago as it is now. Many in his audience were attracted to his message, but weren’t willing to fully commit. There were too many fears, distractions, and negative tendencies holding them back.
So what does truth look like today? That question can refer to a lot of different things, especially in an age rife with disinformation. But if we’re truly interested in ἀλήθεια, the truth that is realized by following the teachings of Jesus, how do we pursue that? What fears, distractions, and tendencies might keep us from committing to that path?
I’ve already shared some that cause me to go astray. If I don’t moderate my judgmental and critical tendencies in their worst forms, my relationships might suffer. But that doesn’t mean I can’t exercise good judgment and benefit from critical thinking. The key is to view things in the correct light, especially when being subjected to a barrage of news about inhumane policies and their effects.
Sometimes others can help portray things in a light that appeals to my better inclinations. I was grateful for the perspective provided in an article I recently read by theology professor Kelly Brown Douglas. In it, she talks about “kairos time,” which is “a right or opportune time. It is a decisive moment in history with the potential for far-reaching impact. It is often a chaotic time, a time of crisis. Yet it is a time in which God is fully present, providing an opening, a way to God’s future.” (Douglas, 29)
I hesitate to designate any moment in which I’m living as being exceptional; it sometimes seems people have applied that designation to every moment throughout history. But Douglas makes the case that this is such a time, and that asking what it means to follow Jesus in our context “is . . . an urgent question.” What does she suggest is the answer? “Essentially, to be a Christian in this our time means to act decisively to repair the breach between our unjust present and God’s just future by creating spaces of freedom, equity, and empathy for those who have been denied them.” (Douglas, 29)
She’s not suggesting that this looks like voting a certain way, supporting a particular candidate, or donating to a political party. Partisan politics in our country are designed to favor the privileged. She suggests that instead we receive our guidance from the prophets and Jesus when it comes to choosing sides, writing that
“God enters history on the side of the marginalized and oppressed, in their struggle to live free of unjust social, cultural, and political realities. It is when those who are on the underside of justice begin to experience justice that we know we are at least on the arc that bends toward the justice of God. . . . [Jesus] was political as he embodied perfectly the values and mission of God [and] stood firmly against the principalities and powers that were an affront to the very justice of God. . . . It is clear that Jesus was not crucified for neutrality and silence regarding the injustice of his day. He was crucified because he spoke against that which was an affront to the values of God.” (Douglas, 29)
She concludes by writing that
“to be a Christian in times like these means what it should mean at any time. For there is no time that is not a kairos time, no time when God is not fully present and providing a way to God’s future. Thus there is no time when we are not called . . . to be committed to making real the justice of God that is freedom from all that prevents us from being a society where the humanity of each and every human being is honored and respected. In this and in all times, to be a Christian is to act like a people with a cross at the center of our faith.” (Douglas, 29)
Siblings in Christ, this week we begin the season of Lent, a time in which we can reflect on where we come from as we approach Good Friday and remember the cross. And as we look back, we can see that the work for Jesus followers is the same as it was when today’s scripture was written. No matter our Enneagram type or tendencies, we all have a role to play in watching out for those in need. Our sphere of influence might include policies that affect thousands or the welfare of a single person. Regardless, we all have the opportunity to extend honor, respect, and justice to the humanity of those to whom it is typically denied.
Thanks be to God.
Amen.
Works Referenced
Cardenal, Ernesto. The Gospel in Solentiname, Volume 3. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 1979.
Cron, Ian Morgan and Suzanne Stabile. The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery. Downers Grove, Illinois: IVP Books, 2016.
Douglas, Kelly Brown. “What does it mean to be a Christian in these times?” Christian Century Vol. 142, №2 (February 2025): 29.
Holmes, Laura Sweat and George Lyons. John 1–12: A Commentary in the Western Tradition (New Beacon Bible Commentary). Kansas City, Missouri: Beacon Hill Press, 2020. Kindle edition.
Miller, Susan. “John’s Gospel.” In The Oxford Handbook of The Bible and Ecology, edited by Hilary Marlow and Mark Harris. New York City: Oxford University Press, 2022.
Reinhartz, Adele. “John.” In Fortress Commentary on the Bible: The Old Testament and Apocrypha, edited by Gale A. Yee, Hugh R. Page, Jr., Matthew J. M. Coomber. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2014. Kindle edition.
Vigil, José Ignacio López and María López Vigil. Just Jesus, Volume II: The Message of a Better World. New York City: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 2000.
