Stone Throwing

John 8
Jesus said unto her,"Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."
John 8:11b

LET IT GLOW

I know a man who tells about throwing stones during one of his childhood
adventures:  He and some friends hid on a bridge using a bean flip with rocks
on cars passing underneath. When a taxi cab drove under, the friends, not this
boy, shot the taxi cab. The driver stopped his taxi and pursued the boys.
Everyone ran, but the driver caught them. He took the boys to their mothers,
but he did not press charges. Rightfully, the driver could have taken the boy to
jail, but he showed mercy instead. (His mother took care of it later.)

Early in the morning, Jesus was teaching in the temple when He was
interrupted by the scribes and Pharisees. They brought a woman caught
in the act of adultery.

"Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what
sayest thou?", asked they of Jesus in verse 5.

The scriptures referred to were Exodus 20:14, which says, "Thou shalt not
commit adultery." and Leviticus 20:10b, which says that "the adulterer and the
adulteress shall surely be put to death."

These men were trying to trap Jesus into saying something they could use
against Him. Jesus didn't anwer right away, but stooped down and wrote in
the dust with His finger. There is only speculation as to what He wrote;
Scripture does not tells us.

"Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!" says Jesus in verse 7.
(NLT)
Then He stooped down again and wrote in the dust. (verse 8)
What happened next? The accusers were convicted by their own conscience
and left one at a time. Only Jesus was left with the crowd and the woman.

The woman was guilty of adultery and deserved to be stoned to death,
but Jesus didn't condemn her. He was the only One without sin. He could
have rightfully stoned her to death, but He showed mercy instead.

Lest we join in with the group of accusers, let's see what scripture tells us.
Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."

In Matthew 5:28, Jesus says, "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on
a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."
Can we insert "man" in place of "woman" in that verse? Women can lust after
men in their mind.

Thank You, Lord, for Your mercy to me a sinner and us sinners. Since I am
not without sin, I cannot cast the first stone either.

LET IT GROW

In the rest of chapter 8, Jesus proclaims His Diety to the Pharisees.
(verses 18,58)

Jesus said His followers:

• walk in light, not darkness (verse 12)
• He always did things that pleased the Father, shouldn't we too?(verse 29)
• continue in Jesus' Word (verse 31)
• know the truth and are free (verse 32)
• love Jesus because God is our Father (verse 42)
• hear God's Words (verse 47) [listen gladly to Words of God-NLT]
• keep His sayings and never see death (verse 51)\

"God's truth will have no effect upon you unless you accept it and believe it.
Have you allowed God to implement those truths into your life?" asks Henry
Blackaby.


LET IT GO

Make sure my tongue does not cast stones.
Remember God's mercy toward me, a sinner.
Be a true follower of Jesus.