Jesus’ Response Upholds Her Dignity
This past Friday the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Let’s take a deep breath. All of us have so many reactions and have heard many many different responses. There is a heaviness in the air to even begin to discuss what has happened.
While we pause and process, we can consider what Jesus showed us. In May, we took a Thursday night at Harbor to discuss abortion. In our discussion, we reflected on the story of John 8:1-11, where men throw a woman out in the crowd to stone her for her sexual sin.
1 while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and began to teach them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and, making her stand before all of them, 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 5 Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, sir.”And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”
Jesus defends her. The story exemplifies the problematic behavior of men misusing power to police and sexualize women’s bodies. Jesus rebukes the men’s actions and defends and advocates for her. Jesus does not police her, nor does Jesus reduce her to a sexual activity. Jesus’ response upholds the dignity of the woman.
It’s fascinating how similar the Supreme Court’s decision feels to the moment when the religious leaders burst into the temple court. Our society has become experts at policing women’s bodies and autonomy as well as sexualizing women. Now it is important that when linking the story of John 8 to abortion policies we make it very clear that we are not into the politics of “sexual sin.” We are instead concerned with the women who are exploited and sexualized.
And thus, this week, we find ourselves heartbroken that power seems to be more of a priority than bodily agency and health. We know that these laws will disproportionately impact BIPOC and people living in poverty. The marginalized or the “least of these” in our society will bear the consequence of this law the most.
I don’t know how Jesus would respond to abortion laws, considering Jesus never said anything about abortion. From his life, this is what I would assume. Like how he paused and looked down on the ground and wrote something, Jesus would pause, have deep compassion, and lament for those who are scared and stripped of power and agency. Jesus would mourn for the new mothers without resources to support their children. Then, Jesus would act. As he rebuked the men exploiting the woman in the name of power—Jesus would defend the women in our society. Jesus would question our political system and ask for something better. Regardless of Jesus’ personal feelings or opinions about abortion—I’m convinced Jesus would be deeply concerned for how women are treated and the tragic lack of resource and support for families in this country.
We don’t know what Jesus would say. But we know Jesus always protected bodily autonomy. Jesus always protected women from men. Jesus always stood with the disempowered against the powerful. And so will we.
