Throwing Stones

From time to time, God and I wrestle our way through a topic. I think, I know how and what I believe and God says come up here, a little higher, a little closer and let me really show you. This is totally and completely off-topic, but as we've covered before it's my blog and I'm allowed (I make the rules, here). My heart has been grieved as I watch friends and family respond to current events. I have been seeking God for what His heart is and what His response would be and here is where He led me this morning.

Sunday School 101: John 8:3-11

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again, he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 


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. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"


"No one, sir," she said.


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


Was the woman sinning? Without a doubt! Who's job was it to offer wisdom and life to the sinner? JESUS! Who's job is it, today, to offer wisdom and life to the sinner? JESUS!

The "church" has jumped on a slippery slope of picking out certain sins and holding them up as the dirtiest, filthiest, most detestable sin. I want to tell you that all SIN stinks! Let's quit picking on specks when we have planks in our own eyes. Let's stop hammering sinners for sinning, when there is so much sin inside the "church" that it's a miracle God doesn't just destroy the whole lot of us.

There is only one judge and He doesn't want to share His job with you!

I'm tired of people saying, "I'm not judging. Sin is sin and we have to call it what it is." Okay, but what about gluttony? Haven't seen anyone picketing the buffet line lately. No laws being passed about who can and can't eat at the buffet. In fact, we get quite riled up, when we hear a new's story that someone has been asked to leave the "all-you-can-eat" buffet, because they paid to indulge in all the gluttony they wanted to and by-golly it's their "right."

Come on, church! The only thing that will draw people into the family of God is LOVE! No, we should not tolerate sin among the believers, but we should expect sin from unbelievers.

I'll not be casting any stones this week. I have too much junk in my own life to think that God needs my help. I will do what I can to love the people around me, regardless of what I perceive the condition of their heart to be. Only God knows the heart. I'm especially thankful today for grace.

Lay down your stones and run to Jesus, ask Him to show you how to love someone into the Kingdom. Allow Jesus to stretch you in ways that make you totally uncomfortable. Be a bright light in a dark world, our high calling is to love God and love each other well. Think before you speak or type, "How will my words make someone else feel? Loved or Condemned?"

Hidden in Christ,
Mandy