“Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” John
I hid in the bushes so no one in the crowd dragging my friend Miriam to be stoned could see me. I wanted to stop the horror but didn’t know how because I was just a frightened woman up against powerful religious authorities.
Miriam and I were neighbors. We had played together, cared for our younger brothers and sisters together and helped our mothers carry water from the well. Miriam was so stunningly beautiful that she couldn’t go anywhere without men staring at her. They all wanted her.
She was a good girl but she was friendly to everyone including men. This worried her mother who asked me to keep an eye on her daughter because our laws were strict and Miriam was at risk every time she left home.
On this fateful day, Miriam was missing. I tried to find her. Could our neighbor Jacob, have lured her into his house while his wife was visiting her mother in the next village? I knew that Jacob was unfaithful to his wife but he was charming and Miriam might have thought that his invitation for a cold drink was innocent.
When I went to Jacob’s house, it was too late. A noisy crowd of scribes and Pharisees filled the courtyard beating my terrified friend. The authorities were dragging Miriam from his house to an open place where stones were abundant. Jacob had disappeared but no one cared because the law punished only women.
I followed at a distance until the crowd encountered a man they called Jesus. The leaders mockingly asked him whether they should stone Miriam as some sort of test. Then the miracle happened. Jesus said that any of them who had never sinned should throw the first stone. I watched in amazement as they slowly dropped their rocks like guilty children and left Miriam with Jesus.
He was so kind when he told her that he did not condemn her. I could see how relieved she was and also how changed she was. I wanted to embrace both of them but dared not intrude.
But I wondered who is this Jesus who defends a powerless woman against our leaders? Had God sent him to save all of us?
After Jesus left, I emerged from the bush and took Miriam to my home. We thanked God for delivering her and for the gift of Jesus. Neither of us would ever be the same again because we had found a God of mercy and compassion who cares equally for all his children.
Eileen Wirth
I’m a retired Creighton journalism professor, active in St. John’s parish and a CLC member. In retirement, I write books about state and local history, including a history of the parish, and do volunteer PR consulting for groups like Habitat for Humanities, refugees etc. I love to read, work out, spend time with family and friends including those who can no longer get out much.
Writing reflections has deepened my faith by requiring me to engage deeply with Jesus through the Scriptures. In the many years I have been doing this, I’ve also formed friendships with regular readers nationally, most of whom I have never met. Hearing from readers and what I learn by writing make the hours I spend on each reflection well worth the effort.
