Dropping Your Rock
We’ve all heard the cliché, " people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones." Well, I certainly do not live in a glass house. And I certainly now that I should not throw stones! But, oh, how easy it is to pick up the stone and toss it in the air, tauntingly.
Can you picture it? As we stand with an accusatory look on our face, tossing the rock in the air, ready to throw it….. "who do you think you are, all holy and mighty?" "Look at the trouble your kid is in", "did you hear…" ready……aim…….
*1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
Ever tried to bait that trap? Tried to stir up conflict and cause others to look at someone else’s sin? Tried to deflect attention from your own life to draw attention to another’s? Do you ask other’s the questions hoping to get the answers that you want to hear? Or asking the question hoping to challenge an ‘authority’?
(Before I get to far….these questions are aimed in the mirror….asking myself these questions…if you read it and think it’s about you, maybe it’s for you…)
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
We don’t know what Jesus was writing, scripture doesn’t tell us. What could it be? Was it the names in the crowd who were guilty of the same sin? We may never know this side of heaven, but what I do know…He wasn’t writing out a warrant for the woman; an edict that would condemn her for her sin. But He did accuse the teachers & the Pharisees of being sinners themselves. Busted them right out on it! "Ok boys, which one of you is perfect? Hmmmm…go ahead and throw it IF you are flawless and sinless." (Annisa’s paraphrase)
9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.
Accused, busted out, called on their own sin…they knew they weren’t perfect and without sin. They had no right to judge her….that’s it! Judgement! Oh, how easy it is to look at other’s and make up our mind about someone, someone we don’t know…but just look at them, you can tell what they are like, right? Judgement, the woman – not even important enough to have a name - standing there alone in her sin….oh yeah! Alone…..where was the guy? Where was the fella she was "caught in the act" with? Shouldn’t he be accused also, after all, he was there right? So easy to blame one and excuse another. So easy to only look at the situation standing right in front of you and neglect the rest of the story. Or worse yet, speculate on the story…
10Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
11"No one, sir," she said.
No one! Not one! Nada! Zip..ok, you get the point. The older folks left first, not because it was 4:30 and it was time for the Sr. Supper Special…no, they were older and likely had more sin – at least more years to sin.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin"
Jesus didn’t condemn her! He looked at her accusers and saw this woman, most likely naked (if she were caught in the act) standing in shame. Alone. Jesus chose to spare this woman and be gracious. Mercy was His motive, Grace was His gift. She didn’t deserve to be spared, she broke the law. And in God’s eyes, adultery is right up there with murder. God does not have a sliding scale to which He decides big sin or little sin….Sin is sin!
But Jesus spared her. He has spared each of us….His death on the cross washed that sin. Don’t get me wrong, sin is still sin; and it’s offensive in God’s eyes, but for those who choose Him – those He loves. There is no record of sin. It’s been wiped away.
When Jesus wrote on the sand, maybe it said…"I love you, wait and see what I am going to do for you on the Cross! Just because my Father & I love you."
*John 8:1 - 11 NIV
*John 8:1 - 11 NIV
Very nicely said Annisa... Good Stuff!
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Ahhh... I visited your page looking for NEW words of wisdom from Annisa...None to be found...
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