Stones

 

 

Mistake is made

Which way to turn

Judged and battered

Bruised and torn

 

 What got her here?

Can anybody tell?

Or will you just join

And throw stones as well?

 

Does anyone here

Know her heart?

Why she was weak?

Why she fell apart?

 

You’d rather assume

Make a judgment call

Any of you standing

Beware lest you fall

 

You expose others

Yet hidden you remain

How quick you forget

I see all sin the same…

 

The teachers of the law throw a woman caught in the act of adultery at Jesus’ feet saying, “The Law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” Jesus stoops to the ground, writes in the sand, and tells them, “He without sin, go ahead and throw the first stone at her.” The men walk away one by one.  Jesus says to the woman, “Where are your accusers?  Didn’t even one condemn you?  Neither do I.  Go and sin no more.” (John 8:1-12)

 

We may read this passage and marvel at God’s mercy.   We picture ourselves in this broken woman’s shoes and the relief she must have felt having her life miraculously spared.   We look at the “accusers” and are disgusted at how heartless they were, how devastating a public display of sin must have felt like, and feel a sense of thankfulness that “nowadays” is not like that anymore.

 

As I read these passages again, I find myself zooming in on the “accusers” once again, but in a much different light.  Could it be that we are falling into the same religious trap as these men as we share on social media, text gossip, or for us extra spiritual  people, send out “prayer requests” for someone's disgraceful sin?  Merciless, like the Pharisees; we parade around in our adornment of juicy details with a sole desire to make a public display of others’ wrongs.

 

Is it really that different than it was that day in the temple yard? With technology today, within a day’s time a global gossip network has been formed; fully armed with stones in hand. Overnight – you become a leader of “sowing discord among the brethren” – leading others, many in whom you do not even know, into abomination.

 

Jesus is saying the same to us.  “Are any of you without sin?  If not, then drop the stones. Stop behaving like Satan, the accuser of the brethren.  If you love Me, walk as I walked.  Walk in love.  Stop causing strife and divisions.” (Rev. 12:10, 1 John 2:6)

We are called to a higher level; to be like Him.  The Christian life is about being transformed daily into His image, His likeness, His way of doing things.  With that said, let’s look again at the opening passage of Scripture.  “He without sin, cast the first stone.”  Notice – Jesus, 100% sin free, yet you never see Him pick up a stone!  He didn’t come to crush what was already broken.  He came to restore it. (John 3:17) 

 

“If another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path.” (Galatians 6:1)

 

Prayer:

 

Lord, may our hearts break for the hurting, for their reconciliation to You.  May we never use another’s brokenness as a sick form of entertainment or to give us a false sense of righteousness.  It is not Your desire that any would perish, but that all would come to repentance. We want that heart.  We want a heart that is broken for the lost and for our fellow brethren who have entangled themselves in the affairs of another path.

 

We know that bad company corrupts good habits, so Lord, help us remove ourselves from those who choose to gossip and slander, from those who pull us away from doing Your will, from those who keep us flesh conscious rather than spirit conscious. We want to be promoters of unity, not sowers of discord. 

 

Forgive us for the damage we have caused others when we have not used our tongue to bring life.

 

(Rom. 1:29, 2 Peter 3:9, 2 Cor. 5:20, Prov. 20:19, 2 Thess. 3:11, 1 Cor. 15:33, Psalm 133:1, Prov. 6:14, Psalm 34:13, Prov. 18:21)