Osler's Razor

In the first instance, he comes upon a woman being stoned to death for adultery-- the mandated punishment under mosaic law. He stops the people killing her, though, and in doing so tells them they don't have the moral authority to do that. And--  in a part of the story that often gets skipped-- he tells her "neither do I condemn you," before telling her to go and sin no more. He literally saves her from death, and then consoles her.

In encountering the woman at the well, Jesus breaks three Jewish customs: talking to a Samaritian, being alone with a woman, and drinking from her cup. He talks to her about water, and then reveals what he knows about her: that she had five husbands, and was now living with a man not her husband. But what happens next is surprising, perhaps-- instead of condemning her, he reveals himself as the Messiah! That's something he very rarely did; it was a remarkable moment of trust. He offered her a rare gift.

Think about that... in these two instances, Jesus not only allowed fellowship with people who were condemned by their society, but chose quite pointedly not to condemn them. In fact, he sought them out and spent time with them even when that put him at risk, and helped them in a way that had nothing to do with sexuality. 

One might call that love.

# posted by Mark Osler @ 1:00 AM