In the courtyard of a small village, a large crowd gathers around a young woman who sits hopelessly, with an empty and shameful presence. Judgmental and skeptical comments circulate as the spokesmen of the crowd inform Jesus that the woman must be condemned for committing adultery, and Jesus responds “He that is without sin among you, let him cast a stone at her” (John 8:7). The biblical Book of John exhibits several excellent examples of God’s graceful response to human sin and shamefulness, therefore highlighting important ideas of redemption from sinful acts which is applicable in the story of Raskolnikov in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment.
In the biblical Book of John, Jesus announces several times that the purpose or intention of his mission stems from a greater Being and plan. For example, Jesus explains that “my doctrine is not mine, but His that sent me” (John 7:16). At this time, there had been significant polarity in the support for Jesus as some believed in his divinity, while others doubted that Christ would come from Galilee, a lower class and humble origin. Jesus proclaimed his mission to the people speaking “I am the light of the world, he that followeth shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). By emphasizing his role and the fact that he was purposefully sent to complete an extraordinary mission, Jesus begins to gain some power and authority. As the crowd of men wanted to stone the adulterous woman and judged her greatly for her sin, Jesus used her situation as an example to teach. Instead of anger and frustration, Jesus responded with grace, wisdom, thoughtfulness, and understanding. Jesus simply protected the woman from condemnation and death. Specifically, he said “go and sin no more” (John 8:11). This story serves as an important example illustrating the idea that God is an understanding creator, and wants His people to focus on the redemption from sin, instead of getting consumed by sin itself.
This idea of being consumed in one’s own sinful behavior instead of learning and moving on is perfectly represented in Crime and Punishment as Raskolnikov experiences such despair and restlessness after committing a serious crime. Terror and bad dreams haunt Raskolnikov in his sleep, and he actually becomes physically ill and weakened by this despair. Frantic hallucinations cause him to question if he is losing his mind (Dostoevsky 95). He ultimately loses connection with himself and reality as “he reached home only towards evening, which meant he had been walking for about six hours. Of where and how he came back, he remembered nothing. He undressed and shivering, all over like a spent horse, lay on the sofa and immediately sank into oblivion” (Dostoevsky 122).
This descriptive language describing the painful state of Raskolnikov demonstrates the consequences of dealing with the extreme guilt and shamefulness following a sinful act without God. Even though Raskolnikov committed a horrific crime that was in no way justified, Raskolnikov should know that no matter what, God understands and forgives. The story of the adulterous woman in the book of John strongly promotes this idea as Jesus protects and defends the sinner. Therefore, Raskolnikov’s experience is an example of someone ignorant of God’s ultimate redemption and salvation.Fr. Michael Pomazansky’s The Old Testament in the New Testament Church explains that “possessing such wisdom is not due to personal merit; it is a gift of God” and that “true wisdom in humble devotion to God in the most severe sufferings and in recognizing the unfathomable nature of God’s ways when suffering innocently” (Pomazansky). This represents the notion that an individual obtains deeper wisdom and understanding of their life/situation when engaging in deep and meaningful devotion to God, supporting the idea that redemption from sin is possible with commitment and service to Christ. Therefore, there is still hope for Raskolnikov.
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