In all things, I long to seek and desire to see things through the lens that our Heavenly Father sees them through. I am so thankful for the handful of passages that address How Jesus interacted with adulterous women. Surely it is worth out time to study these and learn from Jesus’ example of how God approaches these precious ones.
JESUS AND THE WOMAN CAUGHT IN ADULTERY.
John 8 KJV
““3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”
What stands out to you from this interaction? What is Jesus’ posture towards this woman caught in the very act? What is Jesus’ posture towards those accusing her? Does Jesus condemn this woman? Does Jesus absolve her? What judgement does he proclaim when asked to legally judge and condemn her to death? Jesus spares her life and directs her in the way out of her present circumstances and the path forward towards the life He intended for her.
REGARDING THE HARDNESS OF HEART CLAUSE
Malachi 2:16 ESV
15 Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. 16 “For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”
God has labelled divorce as a act of faithless violence towards the person that a man has bound himself to serve, love and provide for. God provides the antidote to guard ourselves against such acts and to remain faithful in spite of the temptation to abandon our calling as husbands (and wives). In the NT God labels men who abandon/will not provide for their wives as worse than infidels.
Jesus told his disciples that the writ of divorce was permitted due to the hardness of human hearts (Matthew 19:8). Does Malachi 2 give us insight into what God is referring to? I believe so. The hardness of heart seems to be directed against those who abandon their calling to their wives and families. Is it possible that the writ of divorce is actually in this circumstance a mercy to the ones who are abandoned? Prior to this practice, husbands simply put away their wives, ceasing to provide for and essentially just kicking them out on the streets. Such a person remained bound and unavailable for another to take in and take as a spouse, and yet unprovided for and unprotected and stigmatized to boot. A writ of divorce provide legal absolution so that the abandoned spouse could be recognized in society as one who was not bound but also as one who was abandoned. A legal/legitimate status that allowed a way forward for both provision and appropriate compassion.
GOD’S COMPASSION, PROVISION, AND UNDERSTANDING FOR ABANDONNED WOMEN
1 Timothy 5 AMPC
A Snapshot of how God views women who are abruptly and totally separated from their husbands.
” 2 [Treat] older women like mothers [and] younger women like sisters, in all purity. 3 [Always] treat with great consideration and give aid to those who are truly widowed (solitary and without support).4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, see to it that these are first made to understand that it is their religious duty [to defray their natural obligation to those] at home, and make return to their parents or grandparents [for all their care by contributing to their maintenance], for this is acceptable in the sight of God. 5 Now [a woman] who is a real widow and is left entirely alone and desolate has fixed her hope on God and perseveres in supplications and prayers night and day, 6 Whereas she who lives in pleasure and self-gratification [giving herself up to luxury and self-indulgence] is dead even while she [still] lives. 7 Charge [the people] thus, so that they may be without reproach and blameless. 8 If anyone fails to provide for his relatives, and especially for those of his own family, he has disowned the faith [by failing to accompany it with fruits] and is worse than an unbeliever [who performs his obligation in these matters].9 Let no one be put on the roll of widows [who are to receive church support] who is under sixty years of age or who has been the wife of more than one man;10
This statement shows that God does not intend to provide for women who by their own indulgence walk outside of God’s will for them by being unfaithful or self-indulgent towards their calling as wives. As Paul clearly advises younger woman to remarry if their husband dies later in this same passage, it is difficult to imagine he is referring to remarriages that are approved of scripturally. But also unbiblical marriages are grounds to cut off a woman’s support from the church body in her later years. This should give us pause.
“And she must have a reputation for good deeds, as one who has brought up children, who has practiced hospitality to strangers [of the brotherhood], washed the feet of the saints, helped to relieve the distressed, [and] devoted herself diligently to doing good in every way. 11 But refuse [to enroll on this list the] younger widows, for when they become restive and their natural desires grow strong, they withdraw themselves against Christ [and] wish to marry [again]. “
God clearly understands that younger women are vulnerable to various sins when deprived of the security, provision and relationship of their husbands. We see in Matthew that the Word states that if a man divorce a woman for any cause other than her having committed adultery, he puts a formidable stumbling block before her feet. Scripture says he will be accountable for causing her to commit adultery as a result of his action in divorcing her. This passage details the temptations that cause so many younger women to stumble. The sin that so likely follows this willful abandonment is accredited not to the abandoned woman but rather to the man who refused to provide for his own.
God’s perspective: We are charged not to put a stumbling block before another. Marriage is a calling that we choose to enter into. In marrying, men in particular are agreeing to provide for the needs of their wives and children and this calling is irrevocable. There are consequences when a spouse wilfully casts off this calling against God’s command and the resulting predictable fallout is attributed to the one breaks this calling. God shows compassion and mercy for the victim, for the one who is abandoned in this way.
Our attitude: God does not condemn those who are divorced but rather sees them as victims of violence and abandonment. The Word states plainly that they are positioned as easy prey and will likely fall into various sins especially if they do not remarry. Paul encourages young women to remarry and fill their time with this calling rather than be subject to the diverse temptations that so many young widows fall prey to. We must therefore as the body of Christ take on this same protective and understanding role towards these precious ones as God Himself expresses in these passages.
If a young widow is gifted by God with the ability to remain celibate and faithful and resist these temptations, than surely our role is to support her, and encourage her and pray for her knowing that the assignments and temptations she is likely assaulted by can be alleviated in some measure by the faithfulness of the body in upholding her. We must recognize that the divorced woman faces all the same temptations as these young widows and that God sees and cares for their plight.
Let us cast off the legal and judgement thoughts that encourages us to condemn and cast stones instead of upholding and encouraging the abandoned ones and let us stand guard for them in their vulnerability.
“12 And so they incur condemnation for having set aside and slighted their previous pledge.13 Moreover, as they go about from house to house, they learn to be idlers, and not only idlers, but gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not say and talking of things they should not mention. 14 So I would have younger [widows] marry, bear children, guide the household, [and] not give opponents of the faith occasion for slander or reproach. 15 For already some [widows] have turned aside after Satan. 16 If any believing woman or believing man has [relatives or persons in the household who are] widows, let him relieve them; let the church not be burdened [with them], so that it may [be free to] assist those who are truly widows (those who are all alone and are dependent).”
JESUS AND THE SAMARITAN WOMAN
John 4 KJV“7There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. 8(For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) 9Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. 10Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 11The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? 12Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? 13Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 15The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. 16Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. 17The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 18For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.”
Jesus acknowledges that this woman has married 5 men and that being married, even 5 times over, is better than living in outright sin with a man. He is not lending legitimacy to being married 5 times. This theme of this is better than that option is a repeating theme regarding marriage, remarriage and divorce. Jesus is calling out her less than better than choices and her present sin both directly and in a non condemning way. We can see that her response is not a defensive one but rather a deflective one. Her curiosity has been triggered, and she clearly desires to know more about this man. Of that we would study these passages and learn to walk as walked and talked to this dear woman.
“19The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. 20Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 21Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 25The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 26Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
This floors me every time I read it. Of all the people to reveal Himself plainly to, Jesus chose this woman living in sexual sin. In seeming contradiction to the verse that prohibits believers from even eating with someone living in sexual sin, Jesus asks this unclean woman to give him a drink. The significance of this request is plain. The Old Testament labelled that which this unclean woman touched as unclean. In asking her for water, Jesus is offering to make the unclean clean through relationship and revelation of the Kingdom He is has come to reveal. Here Jesus demonstrates God’s commitment to pursuing, and reaching out to those who are marginalized and rejected by society
27And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? 28The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, 29Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? 30Then they went out of the city, and came unto him. 31In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. 32But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. 33Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? 34Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work”
Jesus tells his disciples plainly that revealing God to those like this Samaritan woman is the will of the of the Father and the very work that God sent him to complete. If we follow this story to its end, we see that both the Samaritan woman and many in her community come into a personal contact with Jesus and God’s Kingdom.
How short we fall when we seek to cast judgement and condemn the very ones that God sent Jesus to pursue and provide a means of rescue to. In studying these passages, I am convicted that my posture should be one of compassion, of understanding and of hands and heart reaching out offering help, hope, provision and direction to these who are so vulnerable and dear to the very core of the Father’s Business in this world.
