Will She be Stoned?

Zonah stumbled into the Pharisees’ white washed palace so overwhelmed with tears of gratitude that she didn’t notice the distasteful looks and snobbery that caused men to leap back lest they be defiled by the touch of her garments.

“Yeshua,” (Jesus) the word was on her lips even before she saw Him. He turned when she darted closer and smiled gently.  In a moment she was on her knees clasping his travel worn feet.  Such indebtedness filled her heart that she couldn’t keep from weeping, and as the tears streamed down her cheeks, they made rivulets in the dust that stained Yeshua’s feet.  Half embarrassed, she dabbed at them with her hair, while murmuring, “thank you, thank you, thank you.”  But that still didn’t show her gratitude sufficiently so Zonah broke open her alabaster box of perfume—her life’s savings most likely- and spread it over those tired feet. As the delicate scent filled the air, a murmur of irritated voices reached her ears, and Zonah looked up. When she did, Yeshua laid His hand so lovingly on her abundant dark tresses and her heart responded to His touch.

Evidently the men were annoyed at her Savior for seemingly not knowing what kind of evil woman she was. Zonah gazed adoringly into Yeshua’s eyes, drinking in every word of His response to them, knowing she would cherish them every day for the rest of her life.

Why was Zonah so grateful? Sure, it was as Yeshua said; “because her sins which were many are forgiven, she loves much,” but it was more, much more than that.

Zonah lived in a time much like today in many places, where women were thought little of. She had been caught in the very act of adultery. In my book Mary’s Diary, I have written more about this. I suspect she was young and destitute—and desperate!  The Bible says she was caught in the very act. So? Where was her partner? Home free!  But even the Torah (Bible) that they claimed to so religiously follow did not allow the man to escape unpunished. In fact in Leviticus 20 in verse after verse starting with verse 10 the responsibility is put squarely on the man’s shoulders.  Not that the woman could go free, of course not, but the man was considered very responsible.

Do you see why Zonah cried so hard that she needed to wipe the tears away with her long, flowing locks? Here was a Man that spared her. Here was a man that treated her like a respected human being. Here was a Man that loved her in spite of her sins. If I had been forced to wear her sandals and been rescued and forgiven like she was, I would have wept to.
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