Throwing Stones

"Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone." John 8:7

The woman caught in adultery. What a beautiful story of grace and forgiveness! Caught in the very act of adultery! The Pharisees dragged the woman to the temple. "Our law says this woman should be stoned. What do you say?" They asked Jesus with a sneer, throwing the woman at his feet. Jesus, looked up, met their gaze, and said, "Stone her!" "But let the first stone be thrown by the one among you who has no sin." Jesus stood there with her as the only one fully qualified to cast the first stone but refused to respond and instead poured mercy on her torn soul. We can often see this very thing in our churches. The church was meant to be a refuge, a gathering of sinners covered by grace, a collection of strugglers seeking to overcome sin. It's not meant to be a rock-throwing society. If you've had rocks hurled your way, please know that they were thrown without Jesus' authorization. Today may we all drop the stones and leave them outside our churches. Pray that God will give you the self control to stay out of other peoples business thinking it is your responsibility to expose their sin, all the while being blind to your own sin. The Word says, "We have all sinned." No where in the Bible are we called to throw stones. Love one another!