Sex Workers


In ancient Jewish society, the punishment for sex work was death. If women were caught performing sexual acts for money, men had permission to drag them into the street, pick up rocks, and stone them to death.

Jesus had a different idea.

One day, a group of men thought they could back Jesus into a corner. These men, including experts in the law, brought a sex worker to Jesus and told him what she’d done. They knew Jesus preached a message of inclusivity and love, but they thought they could trap him. The law was clear. This woman had to die.

As they picked up stones, Jesus wrote something in the dirt. “Whichever one of you had never done anything against our laws, throw first.” He knew they couldn’t honestly condemn the woman when they considered all the wrong they’d done themselves.

Eventually, they all dropped their stones and walked away leaving only the terrified woman and Jesus. Then, he told her to go on and get out of this destructive life pattern.

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