At dawn he went to the temple again, and all the people were coming to him. He sat down and began to teach them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, making her stand in the center. 

...

6 They asked this to trap him, in order that they might have evidence to accuse him.

John 8:2-3, 6CSB

The Pharisees were losing their grip over the people and seemed to be getting desperate. John in V6 exposes their heart intent - they were prepared to do anything to trip Jesus up, to trap him. We don't know how John knew this - maybe he overheard them talking, maybe Nicodemus told him, or maybe the Holy Spirit revealed it to him. 

Jesus is teaching, there's a crowd, and the Pharisees make their way in and bring a woman in and put her in the middle of what was a pleasant morning.

They didn't care about her, what she had or hadn't done, she was a prop in their piece of theatre. They're deliberately shaming her to try and achieve their goal. 

Their goal is all that matters. 

People, this woman, are expendable to them.

I wonder how often I've used someone with less power, someone vulnerable or unable to fight back.

Without thinking.

Without seeing.

Without seeing them.

What about you?

Or maybe you've been the power less one. Like this person you know what it's like to be the centre of attention but not in a good way, not by your choice.

How we treat people matters, because they matter.

You matter.

#lovepeople

#dearlyloved