The story of
the woman caught in adultery (John 8:2-11) speaks silent volumes about the
thinking of Jesus on the subject of violence against women. The usual
interpretation of this Gospel story focuses on Jesus' admonition to the
Pharisees to refrain from judging a sinner unless they themselves were free
from sin, which of course, they were not. In fact, the phrase, "Let one
cast the first stone" is used even today as an admonition to refrain from
judging. But there is more to the story.
Jesus had just
saved this woman's life, even though Torah provided for a death sentence for a
woman caught in adultery. He did not condemn her, but rather told her to go and
don't do it again. This is truly radical, for adultery was a graviora delicta
(more serious crime) of 1st century Judaism, even more serious than murder. To
understand why this was so, it is necessary to know how adultery was viewed in
Jewish society.
In the world of
1st century Palestine, a man's wealth was not measured by the amount of gold or
jewels he owned, or by the lavishness of his house, or by the size of his
flocks or his fields. A man's wealth was measured by the number of sons he had.
The average life span was about
40 years. Given the
prevalence of
disease, children often did not live to adulthood, so it was important to have
many, especially sons as they were the only ones who could inherit. Those who
lived into adulthood were expected to provide care for their aging parents.
When the father died, all the material wealth went to the oldest
surviving son. This usually included land, which was of prime importance to the
family. To ensure that the land remained in the father's family, it was
important that the bloodline not be adulterated by another man. But as is usual
in patriarchal cultures, it was the woman's responsibility to ensure that she
did not cause her husband's bloodline to be adulterated. If she were unfaithful
to her husband, she faced execution by stoning.
Jesus of course knew the Law. He knew this woman faced an excruciating
death because she was caught in the act. Although Jesus knew she was guilty, he
did not condemn her. And he called the bluff of the Pharisees who had been so
eager to do just that. Instead he showed
love and compassion. Stoning is not acceptable in most countries today. But
another kind of violence against women, intimate partner violence, is epidemic
in contemporary Western society. In today's world a woman does not have to
commit adultery to be beaten. In fact, a woman doesn't have to do anything to
be a victim of domestic violence. One of the inherent problems in patriarchal
cultures is that many men see it as a God-given right to have control over
their wives.
The Church has
reinforced that over centuries of teaching atonement theology. After all, one
of the most infamously misused verses of Scripture, Ephesians 5:21, says that
wives must submit to their husbands. The part about mutuality in love – verses
22-25 – is seldom quoted or preached.
The women who endure abuse from men who are supposed to love them are
today's unseen, unsung heroines, as are the victims of trafficking, sexual
assault, slavery, and poverty. The clients that I counsel are some of the
bravest women I have ever known. Jesus, the compassion of Sofia made human,
suffers with these brave women as they struggle to survive the violence
perpetrated upon them by men. Jesus, the Wisdom of God, would take them in,
tend to their bruises, help them to get away from the violence to safety, and
empower them to move ahead in their lives. But, most importantly, Jesus would
not judge them or blame them. Jesus would love and accept them as they are
while helping them to become stronger.
I walk that same path that Jesus showed us, the path of
compassion, love, acceptance and empowerment, as do many counselors who work in
the domestic violence field.
I help my clients secure protection from abuse orders, safe
housing if they
need to relocate, financial help for food and shelter, job training, child
custody issues and a host of other social services meant to empower them to
take back their lives from their abusers. But the most important thing that I
do for my clients is to listen to them without judging, without blaming, and
with empathy and compassion. And I believe inthem.
That last statement is so important. The look of relief on the face of an
abuse survivor when she realizes that I believe her story is indescribable.
Before she comes to see me, she has been marginalized in every way imaginable.
To find someone who believes her and accepts her without judgment is the first
step in her recovery.
0, Sophia, Wisdom of God, we thank
you that you came to us in the person of our Brother, Jesus. He showed us your
compassion, your understanding and your love for us. He taught us there is a
way to live without resorting to the violence that destroys our humanity. We
ask that you watch over your people, especially women and children who are so
often the objects of male violence. Grant us the grace to refrain from judging
others, and the courage to treat victims of violence with compassion, dignity
and love.
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