Adultery

 "The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle." Jn 8:2

When we talk about adultery in the abstract, few would defend or promote it, but adultery does not happen in the abstract, and this is the issue Jesus confronts. When the leaders of the Jews drag a woman caught in adultery before Jesus, they show little concern for her person. Determined to trip Jesus up, the Scribes and Pharisees use a woman as an object for testing Jesus commitment to the Law, and in the process become adulterers themselves.

Many years ago a priest mentor of mine corrected me sharply and pointedly. I had come home from a prison where I was interning and announced I would be working with a group of prostitutes. "There are no such things as prostitutes." he almost shouted, "There are women and men who sell themselves, and I expect a Franciscan would know this by now."

Embarrassed, I learned an important lesson, the same lesson Jesus taught the scribes and Pharisees two thousand years ago. Respect for every person is the foundation of the law and the Gospel. Catching someone in error or sin is not the point of the law. Helping people overcome their sinful ways is.

Today, ask God to see as Jesus sees.

What helps you avoid the error of treating people like objects?