Theological Reflections: Three Points From The Story of the Woman Caught in Adultery

The story of the Woman Caught in Adultery is one of the best known Gospel stories as it has demonstrated both Jesus' love and intellect. In that alone, we can find great inspiration in how we evangelize others. It has also been used in ways that could be be slightly deceiving in terms of what is expected of us as sinners when it comes to following Jesus. With that in mind, here are some brief reflections on ways we can see this story in a few other ways.

The Eyes of Jesus

Jesus looked at the woman for who she really was: a child of God. With Him being the Incarnate God He was going to love her as the Lord loves us all. In doing so He would also know why the woman acted as she did. Most of the time we sin because we are attempting to medicate some sort of pain. Unfortunately, we seek fulfillment in something other than God's love. In doing that we see right away how unfulfilling this temporary fix is, which only leads us to seek it again and/or to seek fulfillment in another temporary fix.

Jesus' reaction is also a lesson in chastity, which includes the way we see our neighbor regardless of the way they present themselves to us. The Gospel tells us that the woman was caught committing the very act of adultery but it does not tell us how she was presented to Jesus. Was she fully dressed? Was she a very attractive woman? Either way, Jesus loved her the right way and she was obviously not threatened by the way He looked at her. Here was an example of Jesus walking the walk in reference to some of the talk He talked in Matthew 5:27-30.

If we look closer at this reality we can see the benefit of going through life with chaste eyes. Jesus engaged the woman with love and respect, regardless of the type of life she was living. Meanwhile, look at her response. She was loved and made to feel like a person because that was the way God made her, not because of how she proved herself to others. How different would we see ourselves and treat others if we modeled our interactions in this way?

The Human Heart

Jesus did not prevent the people from stoning the woman. He simply suggested that it be done by those without sin. This would also include those who brought the woman before Him, who certainly had a major problem with her if they went as far as seeking her out while she committed the act of adultery. One could only imagine the type of resentment they had towards her and Jesus for that matter for them to engage in such behavior.

We also notice that Jesus did not categorize the severity of the sin. If He did then perhaps He would have suggested that the woman be stoned by those who were not adulterers. No, the Lord asked everyone to consider their own flaws and perhaps in doing so they also considered the reasons for their sins. Aside from that, they also had to consider their intentions and if that is the case, imagine if they were also present when Jesus taught on what it means to judge others (Matthew 7:1-5).

Many of us have encountered those who have committed grave sins. While such moments may have astonished or even scandalized us we still must consider that the sinner before us is a person in need of love who is also worthy of being loved. Jesus showed us the way and while many of us have considered the danger Jesus saved the woman from we rarely consider the risk Jesus took in terms of His own social standing by treating this woman in this way. How often do we risk take the same risks?

She Was Still Wrong

In today's culture many people suggest that Jesus' acceptance of everyone means that He more or less excuses all of our wrongdoing without use taking accountability for our sins. Perhaps that is also why there are sects of Christianity that reject the reality of hell. Such an idea causes some to only see a specific part of Jesus' statement from John 8:11:

Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore

The first part of this statement is certainly that of our loving God and demonstrated best in the story of The Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 11-32). However, in today's world there are certainly those who seek to focus on that part alone in a different way to suggest that Jesus accepts us all for parts of our lives that people categorize as wrong behavior. If that is the case are we sinners or are we human beings? If our sins are good then should those sins not harm ourselves and others? Human beings are part of creation that God declared good (Genesis 1:31), not the sin that entered the world after the Fall. That is why Jesus came to save us from our sins and to offer us God's love (John 3:16-17).

Now, let's look at the rest of Jesus' statement. He told her that she needed to move on with her life and not do the thing that condemned her among her peers. It was still wrong and she needed to make this change immediately. Of course the Gospel is direct in the way this was said but if we look deeply at the meaning behind the story, Jesus protected her, He loved her and He most likely gave her this directive in an affirming way. Consider the way this story is portrayed in this excerpt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvFXb_GXSMQ

The woman walked away feeling loved and affirmed. Perhaps she was even loved by a man the right way for the first time in her life. Most importantly, by seeing who Jesus really was, knew that she was loved by God.

Think of the difference that would make in our lives if we first, saw God's moral law as a way to guide us to the life that He intended for all of us and, if we recognize that God gave us these moral laws because He loves us. Of course, the best way to remind ourselves of this is when we continue to do the Lord's work by loving those deep in the sin the way the Lord loved the woman caught in adultery.