UNMUTE THE VOICELESS: Justice and Gender Equity in John 8:2-11
Introduction
The story about a woman caught committing adultery in John 8:2-11 can be a point of reflection toward sexual cases involving women. Nonetheless, interpretation of this story is often focused on Jesus, who brilliantly releases himself from the trap of dilemmatic choice between law and mercy.[1] Consequently, Jesus' attitude to the woman is limited to spiritual forgiveness.
In this paper, I argue that John 8:2-11 focuses on justice rather than polarization between law and mercy. Through the proper judgment and willingness to unmute the woman’s voicelessness, give chance the woman to speak and set her free, Jesus presents subversive action to the biased law enforcement and socio-cultural construct that suppresses women's rights to defend themselves in public. Furthermore, by reading John 8:2-11 from the gendered justice perspective, the text can be a reflection point in facing women's contemporary sexual cases.
Justice, Biased Law Enforcement, and Women Voiceless
In John 8: 2-11, John depicted Jesus' attitude to the adulteress as the embodiment of justice, emphasising the importance to judge with proper judgment (John 7:24) and the necessity of a careful investigation before sentencing someone based on the law (John 7:51). In 8:15, John reaffirms Jesus' judgment is proper, fair, and right.
In contrast, the Pharisees and Scribes, as the legal experts, are depicted as biased in judging the adultress. According to Leviticus 20:10, and Deuteronomy 22:22, if men and women were caught in adultery, both of them shall be dead. Besides, the law required two or three witnesses (Num. 5:11-31). The Pharisees and Scribes want to punish the woman without presenting legal prerequisites, namely the adulterer, as well as the witnesses—the absence of witnesses and the adulterer indicating the biased law enforcement that harms the woman.
Moreover, the woman's silence indicates her guilt as well as the vulnerability in front of the dominant male culture. In the Mediterranean world, a woman is not allowed to speak in the public sphere (temple setting). Men have the privilege to speak or debate in public, but the women are only allowed to speak in a domestic setting.[2] One of the gendered virtues of women is self-control in public; refrain from talking to the higher positioned person.[3] Besides, in Jewish tradition, the act of adultery is understood as the disgrace of the husband's dignity, and the adulteress deserves to be stoned to death. Meanwhile, in Roman law, a father, husband, or a third party is allowed to kill a woman who was found in adultery.[4]
Nevertheless, Jesus took a different path. Instead of judging the woman, by his rhetoric, Jesus awakens the people about their own sin. Jesus' intention is not to simplify the problem and generalize all sins, but through rhetoric, he implies that improper judgment makes everyone guilty. As a result, people aware of their own defects, one by one, left the woman without further enthusiasm to sentence her.
Furthermore, Jesus unmuted the woman’s voicelessness, and restored her dignity through rhetorical questions, “where are they? Has not one condemned you? (John 8:10 RSV).” Nonetheless, Jesus did not force the woman to speak more than she will. When the woman responss to Jesus with a concise answer, "No one, Lord," Jesus prefers to give the space and freedom. By giving the woman opportunity to speak and set her free, Jesus demonstrates subversive action to biased law enforcement and the socio-cultural construct that suppresses women’s rights to defend themselves in public.
Reflecting John 8:2-11 in Contemporary Context
Nowadays, women are still facing gender inequity. In most sexual harassment cases, women choose silence because of shame, embarrassment, limited understanding about reporting procedure, fear of consequences, fear of persecution, privacy, even trauma.[5] Speak up often resulted in blame the victim, leaving women stigmatized by the public, get persecution, even jailed.[6] Women are increasingly vulnerable when facing adultery charges. The situation will get worse in the context of patriarchal society, where women have no right to defend themselves in public. Either as the victim of forced sex or in a consensual affair, women barely have free space to speak up and get the proper justice. The story of John 8:2-11 dares people resist stigma, persecution, judgment, biased law enforcement, and encourage listening with empathy, and liberation.
Conclusion
To conclude, John 8:2-11 is a text about justice; Jesus presents resistance toward gender-biased law enforcement and cultural tendency towards “gender inequity.” Finally, in contemporary sexual cases, Jesus' proper judgment and empathy can be modelled to unmute the voiceless and restore women's dignity.
Bibliography
Ehrman, Bart D. Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why. 1st ed. New York: Harper San Francisco, 2005. 63-64.
Hylen, Susan, Women in The New Testament World. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018
Osiek, Carolyn. & Balch, David.L. Families in the New Testament: Households and House Churches, Louisville, Westminster John Knox. 1997.
Schottroff, Luise. Lydia’s Impatient Sisters: A Feminist Social History of Early Christianity, Louisville, Westminster, John Knox Press. 1995.
[1] Ehrman, 2005: 63-64.
[2] Osiek and Balch, 1997:54
[3] Hylen, 2018: 44-45
[4] Schottroff, 1995:182
[5] Based on RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network), only 230 from every 1000 cases of sexual assault will be reported. https://sum.cuny.edu/reporting-sexual-assault-why-some-stay-silent/ in Indonesia; three of ten women have experienced sexual harassment, but only 43% reported the incident. https://id.yougov.com/en-id/news/2019/08/06/three-ten-indonesian-women-have-experienced-sexual/
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