THEOLOGY 1: CHRISTIAN VISION OF THE HUMAN PERSON

• What were the experiences of the woman caught in the act of adultery and
Zaccheus as recounted in the stories?
 

1. The woman and Zacchaeus are sinners that are greatly resented by the people. But
both were saved by Christ. The woman (May Magdalene) was in a “life and death”
situation (being almost stoned to death due to adultery), and Zacchaeus was
trapped in a life of greed and spiritual blindness. But because of their desperation
and great faith in Jesus, they were converted. When Jesus said to the people, “He
among you who is without sin, let him cast the first stone” there is true message in
his words: we are all sinners and we must not look down on those who have sinned
but help one another to repent, convert, and believe in Jesus’ compassion.
Zacchaeus who was very rich due to his position as chief tax collector and greed,
was curious about Jesus’ arrival. His desperation - going through the crowds and
climbing up the tree - shows that he believed in Jesus’ power. Salvation came to
his house that day because he became a changed man.

• Can their stories be related to the experiences of people in our time? Explain.
2. These situations may have occurred long ago but they may be similar to what’s
happening during the modern day. Until today, people still commit adultery and
many of our officials are still corrupt. But among these sinners, there are those who
want to change for the better. I believe in times like this, we must look at these
stories (Woman caught in the act of adultery, Jesus and Zaccheus) with new
insight. Mary Magdalene and Zacchaeus were in terrible situations because of their
sins, but because they found Jesus, they didn’t spend their whole life in sin.
Everyone still has the chance to change. Jesus if forgiving and compassionate so
He will let anyone in His house no matter what sin they’ve made, just as long as
they want to be better.

• How does our faith in Jesus Christ reveal our dignity as human persons?
3. Human individuals strive for a great many things. We all desire success in the future
because we believe it leads to happiness. And we sometimes do horrid things to it
achieve it. When we put Christ in our life, the load that we carry becomes lighter.
Instead of walking towards our journey, Jesus carries us to it. He is filled with so
much love and compassion that He’d forgive anyone who seeks mercy. My faith in
Jesus shows that we human beings are nothing compared to His almighty strength.
But I also think that when Christ is number 1 in our hearts, our respect for ourselves
becomes greater - because we know Jesus is part of our lives. It is something we
can all take pride in. Dignity can be our most valuable possession when we have
nothing, but never forget that even if we have nothing but our dignity, Christ is truly
the one and only person that will remain in our lives forever.