Cast Not The Stone

The religion scholars and Pharisees led in a woman who had been caught in an act of adultery. They stood her in plain sight of everyone and said, “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. Jesus 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. Hearing 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?” “No one, Master.” “Neither do I,” said Jesus. “Go on your way. From now on, don’t sin.” ....John 8, 3-11 (Msg)

Now here’s the story of a woman caught in the very act of adultery and how Jesus, the only blameless human by deeds reacted to it. The accusers, the then religious leaders, of course were aware of the law of Moses and they knew the punishment attached to each law should anyone be found guilty.

In the case of this woman, probably no hearing was needed; they caught her in the very act! She had done the abominable. But her abomination may just be the bait they needed to ‘finish’ Jesus. So they took her to him.

Our Lord God is compassionate but He is also just. He didn’t plead with the accusers and tell them to cover the woman’s shame and give her another chance. He didn’t stand up for the woman and say something like: “So what? Who among you haven’t sinned? You hypocrites!  Why should you stone her when you too have sinned before?...”

He simply said: “The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone.” And that was it. Everyone evaporated like water under the sun because they all had sinned, maybe differently, but they had sinned.

Did the woman do something wrong? Yes, she did. Did Jesus know that adultery is wrong? Of course, he did. Should the woman be stoned to death because she’s been caught? Well, Jesus said the blameless should cast the first stone.

Jesus is our example and we all could pass for that woman at one point or the other in our living but He continually shows us this overwhelming reckless love even when we don’t deserve it.

How then do we react to people around us who we see come short of religious or moral standards at some point? Do we also join the world to tear them down as if we ourselves are perfect and without fault? Or do we show them love much as we have received?

While indiscipline and bad attitudes should not be encouraged, love should be our motivation even when we measure some sort of punishment out to people under our leadership who have gone out of line. We should constantly ask what Jesus would have done in such situations.

It should always ring in our heads that we fail from time to time also and God keeps believing the best that could come out of us. So also we should do other people. After all, weaknesses are common to all of us and nobody is irredeemable.

If you have not made Jesus Christ your Lord and saviour, you cannot take advantage of what God had prepared for you. We urge you, don’t wait another moment. Make up your mind and say this prayer:

“Dear God, I ask you to forgive me all my sins and make me anew. I believe that Jesus died for me and you raised him up on the third day, I confess that He is Lord now and forever. I accept your son, Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour.”

Congratulations! Now that you are born again, look for a bible believing church to attend that you might know what he has provided for you.