“I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” (BrenĂ© Brown)
The older I
get, the more seek to make connections in my life (and in my relationships with
others). I also seek to make connections
in what I read in the Bible. For the
purpose of this post, I would like to connect the biblical passages (John
7:53-8:11 and Luke 7:36-50) both with unnamed women to one female I will call,
“Pericope.” [i]
The Luke
passage given above has been attributed to Mary of Bethany or Mary of Magdala
in the past (though neither can be identified in scripture to make such a
biblical connection.) Since the word adultery will be prevalent in the first
part of this story, let’s define it. Adultery (according to Dictionary.com) is “voluntary
sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than their lawful
spouse.”
Adultery is forbidden in the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20:14 (ERV)
clearly says: “You must not
commit adultery.” In the Old Testament, the punishment for adultery
is given Leviticus 20:10 (AMP): The man who commits adultery with another’s wife, even his neighbor’s
wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall most certainly be put to death.
With the John story, Pericope is brought into the temple by the angry religious leaders where Jesus’ is teaching because she has committed adultery. In an attempt to trick Jesus, they tell Him that the above Leviticus passage says Pericope must be stoned according to the law. There are two problems with their logic. The above Leviticus verse says nothing about stoning, and the married man she was having sex with should also be present.
How did he manage to escape? Was he allowed to leave because of who he was? (We will never know.) The scripture does not provide us with the ages of Pericope, or her married lover. The major crime Pericope was guilty of is summarized in the chorus of Johnny Lee’s song, “Lookin’ for Love.”
I was lookin' for love in all the wrong places
Lookin' for love in too many faces
Searchin' their eyes and lookin' for traces
Of what I'm dreamin' of
Hopin' to find a friend and a lover
I'll bless the day I discover
Another heart lookin' for love
One thing I’ve learned about Jesus that when you believe
there are only a limited number of options to choose from: Jesus picks out
something you would have never thought of. The religious leaders were choosing to trick
Jesus in this way. If He let Pericope
go, He was disobeying the law. If He chose to stone her, He was not
demonstrating love and grace.
Jesus quietly bent down, and began to write on the ground
with His finger. Though scripture does not tell us what He wrote, could it have
been the names of women that the religious leaders were having adulterous
affairs with? Jesus stood up, and His next statement shatters the minds of
these religious hypocrites. It is found in John 8:7 (VOICE): Let the first stone be thrown by the one among you who has not sinned. Jesus bent down
a second time to write on the ground. The men left from oldest to youngest.
Jesus was only Individual that was sinless. He
could have thrown a stone, but chose not to condemn her. Instead, He said, All I ask is that you go and from now on avoid the sins that
plague you.
I can’t guarantee this is the lovely positive
ending to Pericope’s dramatic story (since Luke comes before John in the
gospels). Jesus was having a meal at the home of a religious leader. Pericope
entered with an expensive alabaster jar of perfume to thank Jesus for all He’d
done for her. She began to weep uncontrollably as she bent down at His
feet.
Jesus feet were wet with Pericope’s tears (of
gratitude for saving her life). Pericope used her hair as a towel to dry Jesus
feet (as she oiled his feet with the perfume). Pericope was taking on the role
of a lowly servant to perform this act. (Jesus would wash the feet of His
disciples at the Last Supper soon before He would be crucified.)
There were mixed reactions to this overt display
of love. A religious leader was upset that such a sinful woman would touch a
holy Prophet like Jesus. Because of what Pericope did for Jesus, Luke 7:50 (ERV)
gives His response to her: Because you believed, you are saved
from your sins. Go in peace.
James 2:13 (ERV) says: Yes, you must show mercy to others. If you do not show mercy, then God
will not show mercy to you when he judges you. But the one who shows mercy can
stand without fear before the Judge (God). Like the
John story above, it is always so much simpler to judge someone. Who cares if
the facts justify the punishment? Allowing grace can often involve giving
someone a second chance (as you swallow your pride). When God judges you, should He show you some
mercy? Your heavenly Father expects you to show love for His creation that He gave His Son to die
for.
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