THROWING STONES
THROWING STONES
“Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” —John 8:7
“Go now and leave your life of sin.” —John 8:11
Let us be careful in judging or condemning others. Jesus did not say they could not stone this adulteress for her sin, but the point He was making was that the one who was without sin themselves was to cast the first stone at her. Of course, none cast a stone because they all knew that they themselves were not without sin in their own lives. None of keep God’s Word perfectly. The older men withdrew first. They were quick to acknowledge their lives were not without sin. The younger men took a little longer to acknowledge this as well. But they also eventually withdrew. All withdrew because all knew they were not without sin in their lives. They were not perfect in keeping God’s law themselves.
Jesus extended mercy and grace toward this adulteress woman, but He did tell her to “Go now and leave your life of sin.” He did not excuse her sin. Jesus rightly pointed out her “life of sin.” There seemed to be a pattern in her life that Jesus knew. She was to leave it and so it is with us. We are not to have a “life of sin.”
I am concerned that too many times we need to “first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” We are quick to see the faults and sin in others, but many times we are blind to our own or are unwilling to acknowledge them. Let us remember— “I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name” (I John 2:12). We have been forgiven and it is only by grace that we have been saved (Ephesians 2:8). Let us extend grace to others and be honest with ourselves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpYtYYaTFGQ
Yes, Dear Father, let me consider my own life to be faithful and seek to be an encouragement to others. May this be so by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Your Son Jesus.