“Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” John 8:7b
Can I just say that I absolutely adore the passages in Scripture when Jesus interacts with women? I love how in a culture that did little if anything to esteem women, Jesus regularly went against the grain and showed love, grace, and acceptance to them.
In John 8:1-11, we see a beautiful story of redemption unfold. If we read through this story too quickly, we’ll miss some significant points. First, Jesus was engaged in teaching a crowd. Wherever He went, people followed. News of Him had spread far and wide, and there was almost always a large crowd gathered whenever and wherever He showed up.
Suddenly and rather abruptly, John 8:3 interrupts what I would imagine was an incredible time of teaching from Jesus as we are introduced to a woman. Not just any woman. A woman who was “caught in the act of adultery.” Pause to reflect on that phrase for just a moment. This woman is marked with public shame not only by being caught in the act, but now her sin is made known to all within earshot. As I read this passage, I find myself nearly holding my breath, simply unable to imagine what it must have felt like to be in this woman’s shoes. The humiliation. The fear. The shame.
She is thrust into the middle of everyone’s attention, and Jesus is questioned. “What should we do with her? Stone her?” Jesus’ next move makes me crazy. Instead of verbally responding to their demanding questions, He kneels down and begins to write something with his finger in the dirt. I don’t know how many of you like to be able to read between the lines, but we are given no indication of what Jesus was writing. I so wish I knew! Some have guessed that perhaps He was writing out the sins of the men standing there that were condemning this woman. Others have speculated that He might have been writing Scripture. Who knows? But what a show stopper! If He hadn’t succeeded in captivating everyone’s attention yet, He certainly had by now.
This infuriated the men who brought her before Him. They continued to press Him for an answer. And His response?
“Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Unbelievable! Unimaginable! And one by one, they dropped their stones and walked away, leaving no one but the woman and Jesus. All of her accusers were gone. Not one remained. Because of mercy. Because of grace.
I wonder, if for just a moment, we would drop our stones from our tightly clenched fists and take a look inward instead, what unbelievable and unimaginable thing might happen? If we would look in the mirror more than looking out the window, what would change? Could we choose today to stop throwing stones and instead start speaking words of grace, love, and forgiveness? Could we choose today, in our pursuit of this Jesus, to start acting a bit more like Him? Let’s drop our stones today and pick up His Word instead. His life-giving, faith-building, hope-restoring Word.
May this settle within us as God graciously changes our heart as we stand on His Word. May His precious Word be planted deep within us, taking root, and spreading through us and onto those around us. May His Word set us free from the lingering sin within us. May His living Word come alive and bring us to repentance and draw us closer to our Father. Jesus, we need Your help!
I have to admit that I struggle with this at times….but I love what you said at the end…..let’s drop our stones and pick up His word instead…amen, honey…that’s the key….that’s the answer…..love you!