The First Stone (archives)

2 "Teacher, this woman was caught red-handed in the act of adultery. Moses, in the Law, gives orders to stone such persons. What do you say?" They were trying to trap him into saying something incriminating so they could bring charges against him. 6-8Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger in the dirt. They kept at him, badgering him. He straightened up and said, "The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone." Bending down again, he wrote some more in the dirt. 9-10Hearing that, they walked away, one after another, beginning with the oldest. The woman was left alone. Jesus stood up and spoke to her. "Woman, where are they? Does no one condemn you?" 11"No one, Master." "Neither do I," said Jesus. "Go on your way. From now on, don't sin." (John 8...The Message)


she wasn't all cleaned up...
she wasn't the best society had to offer...
she was covered,
layers deep
in sin.

and really, who isn't?

oh,
don't look like that...
and whatever you do, don't dare throw on that jacket of ''in-sin-ability''
maybe, you cover yours well...
maybe, perhaps no one suspects...
maybe, just maybe
you haven't been caught, you haven't fallen short, you haven't been pulled into the center of town and put on display...

or maybe,
just maybe...
you don't even try to cover it...

regardless
it's the same
it's all the same-
sin

the godly of that day-ever on a mission to right the wrong
proudly drug her to Jesus...bowed out their chest, threw the ''rules'' at Him and then watched for His response...
they wanted justice
they wanted her to pay
...
oddly,
that crowd, was the precursor for today's church
and boy, have we carried on that tradition well...
got a little sin issue, we will point that right out for you...
struggling, we'll 'pray' for you and maybe you'll get that fixed...
you did what, AGAIN, really, AGAIN...you are taking that whole grace thing a little far, no?..

---
and where is Jesus in all of this?

read up there...

He was with the woman...
not with the holy guys, the mr. pointer outters of the sin

with the woman
listening to them...their accusations
and you know, He never said, ''hey lady, you are doing exactly right''
he never condoned her actions...
but
(hear this)
he stood by her
when the church didn't

...

why is it so easy to grip the stone, pose the throw...
why do we so easily attach ourselves to the wind up of the toss...
ready to drag them to Jesus, in their sin...

when as Christ followers...
OUR example
the one we follow

His hands held no stones...
His heart held no judgement...
His voice, asking the question that ours should echo...

''where are they...''

so, why not drop the rocks,
grip some grace,
hang on to some mercy
and love them
not because they are right

but

because He is...