THE WOMAN AT STANFORD AND JESUS

The Woman

The woman shows Jesus great love by kissing his feet, bathing the road weary feet, anointing them with oil and drying them with her hair. The woman is a sinner, probably a prostitute. Unmarried women in Jesus day were in the depths of poverty. There was no welfare, food stamps or soup kitchens. There is a good chance she was known as a prostitute.

Jesus was criticized by his host for allowing this woman to touch him and knowing she was a sinner. Men in Jesus day did not even allow women to touch them.

Quote Jesus: Simon, do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you her sins, which are many, have been forgiven: hence she has shown great love. But one, whom little is forgiven, loves little. Then he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Men sat Table woman on the floor. But Jesus saw the woman as a human being. He raised her up and defended her to his host. He made her important. Jesus held women in high regard.

We Christians are called to treat women with high regard, dignity and justice.

Treatment of women as second-class citizens, weak and to be used results in RAPE.

Stanford raped woman, Jane Doe’s Story: She was drunk, assaulted and unconscious by by Brock

Allen Turner after a fraternity party

He gets six months in jail for raping the unconscious co-ed. His father Dan Turner was quoted as saying “Why should his life be ruined for twenty minutes of action?” His statement followed broock’s light sentencing.

Sexism alive and miserable. 1 in 5 women will be sexually assaulted on college campuses. My granddaughter Catherine is a sophomore at Boston University. I worry about her.

Many straight men look upon women as sex objects, not persons.

Many gay men express hostility toward women.

Machismo is present among many Latino and black men.

Of course many women regard all men as animals.

Prison systems turn a blind eye too men raping men in prisons and women raping women.

Sex prejudice reigns in our culture.

Jesus associates with the woman. We followers of Jesus need to repent of our constant sexism and repent and beg forgiveness and then go out seeking love and justice for all.

Here is a Christian take away:

We all repent of our sexism toward women and men

We can support legislation to treat raped women with respect

We can support legislation that assures rapist will receive appropriate punishment and treatment.

We pray for Brock Allen Turner, the convicted rapist.

We pray for his father, Dan Turner who callously said his son “should not be punished for 20 minutes of action.”

We pray for Judge Aaron Pesky, who is vilified for his slap on the wrist sentence of Brock Allen Turner.

We pray for the two Swedish bicyclists who helped Jane Doe survive the attack.

We pray for Jane Doe the victim of the rape, for her continued healing and restoration of her dignity.

We pray for ourselves that we avoid self-righteousness as we seek powerful justice for the victims of brutal crimes.