Would You Drop Your Stone?

Can I talk to you for just a few minutes?  Can I tell you about the woman Jesus knelt for?

Most people would say this woman wasn't worthy of any admiration or the time He spent on her to show her she was important.  Some might say, "she made her bed and now she has to lay in it". 

Some may shake their pointer finger at her and tsk, tsk, tsk.  How could she cheat on her husband?  How could she commit adultery? "Shame on her."

Some may feel broken for her because they know how badly she will suffer now that she's been caught.

No matter the differing opinions, one thing is sure.  She was thrown in the road to be stoned to death by the "righteous" and all eyes were on her.

No one asked why she did it.  No one cared.  No one knew if her husband cheated first or cheated repeatedly.  No one knew if she was being physically abused.  No one knew if she'd been raped at a young age and was drastically damaged to the point that pure sexual desires just weren't on her scope of things to behold.  No one knew if maybe she just chose that path because she had a dark heart. No one knew her why.

No one knew because no one asked.

But no one really had to ask any questions to know that she was broken. And an even deeper brokenness was in her near future.  

She was surrounded by people whose eyes held stones of judgement and whose hands held stones of punishment waiting for the moment of attack.  

I can't even begin to imagine how scared and lonely she must have felt.  

But then, God.

The accusers (AKA: pharisees) brought her to Jesus and asked what he would do with her.  

John 8:4 “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 

The pharisees were actually using this woman to challenge Jesus because he wasn't completely sold out for their law.  What he was, was completely sold out for His Father.  

So He responded.  But, how?  

With an opinion?  With shouting?  By standing still with apathy? With more judgement?  By taking a stone from another man's hand and following suit?  By leaving her there to fight for herself and walking away?

No. He responded how His father would. 

6 But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

9 At 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.

No one was left standing.  Not one person, besides Jesus.

He loved her. 

He took action for her. 

He knelt for her.  

Even when no one else understood.

10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

11 “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

I'm not sure if you're reading this and you're the one being condemned, or if you're the one condemning, but I know that God has laid this on my heart to lead someone to grace and mercy today.  And He is showing me that just as He saw it necessary to kneel for her, He also knew it was necessary to die a brutal death on the cross even for the pharisees.

Do you see that?  Please tell me you see what I see here.  Please tell me that his love, grace and mercy isn't lost on you.   

He knelt for her.  But He died for all of them.

Why? 

Because, grace. 

Because, mercy.

Because, love.

Because, God.

Please, for the love of all things holy, put your pointer finger back in it's holster.  And walk away from the things that bring death to your life. 

Find someone who is different than you, and would you kneel for them?  Would you step inside their world and welcome them to share their why and kneel in prayer with them?  And then, when they rise, would you rise with them?  Would you stand with them in a circle of eyes holding stones of judgement and be Jesus to them?

Would you drop your stone?