7rcTIX1xP

The Sixth Lesson: The Work of Organization.1015
of the esteemed visitor to his house? And as for the character of the woman,
it had been fully recognized and forgiven. “Much hath been forgiven her,
for she hath loved greatly.” And, turning to the woman, He added, “Go in
peace, for thy sins are forgiven thee.” And the woman departed with a new
expression on her face and a firm resolve in her heart, for the Master had
forgiven and blessed her.
But by this act Jesus brought upon His head the hatred of the Pharisee
and his friends. He had dared rebuke the host in his own palace, and had
moreover arrogated to Himself the sacred rite to pronounce remission
of sins, a right vested solely in the high-priest of the Temple, upon the
performance of certain ceremonies and sacrifices upon the altar. He had
flung defiance at vested ecclesiastical right and functions, even in the house
of one of the stanchest adherents of formalism and authority—a Pharisee.
In this incident was shown not only the broadness of Jesus’ views and the
universality of His love, as well as His courage in defying the hated formalism,
even in the palace of its stanchest advocates, but also His attitude toward
women. The Jews as a race held women in but scant esteem. They were
not deemed worthy to sit with the men in the synagogue. It was deemed
unworthy of a man to mention his female relations in general company. They
were regarded as inferior in every way to men, and were treated as almost
unclean in their most sacred natural functions.
Toward fallen women especially Jesus was ever considerate. He saw their
temptation and the social cruelty of their position. He resented “the double
standard” of virtue which allowed a man to commit certain offenses and
still be respected, while the woman who committed the same offense was
damned socially, reviled and treated as a shameful outcast. He was ever
ready to voice a defense for women of this kind, and seemed to be ever
actuated by the sense of injustice in the attitude of men toward them, which
finally voiced itself on a notable occasion when called upon to pass judgment
upon the woman taken in adultery: “Let him among ye who is without sin
cast the first stone.” No wonder that the outcast woman kissed His feet and