Let Us Not Be Hurlers of Rocks BUT Let Us Be People of Compassion & Forgiveness—Seeing Those Who Sin Differently Than We Do!
Billions & Billions of People.
Over 14 Million People.
Over 1.6 million People.
Over 360,000 People.
Over 47,000 bodies of believers.
Over 500 people listed on the church roll.
Over 20 people listed on the Sunday School class list.
1 Person—ME!
There are so many people who are just like us!
- Of all the people listed, who is the chief sinner?
- Of all the people listed, who is the least sinner?
- Of all the people listed, who is without sin?
Jesus had just entered the Mount of Olives.
It was early in the morning.
As usual, He came again into the temple. &
As usual, all the people came too.
So, as was Jesus’ practice, He sat down and begin to teach the people.
There were so many who were watching Jesus.
Yes, so many “religious” and even “unbelieving” people who wanted to see if Jesus was authentic—if He was really who He said He was—the Son of God.
There were some “religious people” (the scribes and the Pharisees) who wanted to trip Him up, to help Jesus reveal that He was just a man like them & not the Son of man & the Son of God—BOTH!
- It’s easy to find sinners.
- We can find them everywhere.
- We can find them when we arise from our bed and look in our bathroom mirror.
Maybe the “religious people” did not have bathroom mirrors because in the 1st Century, they had a hard time seeing their own sin.
Maybe I don’t look in the bathroom mirror enough today in the 21st Century because we find it so easy to see others’ sins and struggle, finding it so much easier than seeing our own sin.
In that day (the day in the Mount of Olives when Jesus sat down to teach), there was a sinful woman, one caught in the very act of adultery, one who by her blatant action was to be stoned to death. It was the Law!
“Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?
They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds of accusing Him.”
But Jesus did something so Jesus-like that day.
“Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground.
But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, . . . .”
Jesus said it best!
‘He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’
(John 8: 5-7)
Wow!
Double Wow!!
I can see the crowd of “religious people” all standing there with their rocks clasped tightly in their hands, ready to hurl them at the woman who THEY KNEW was guilty of her sin.
I can also see the woman standing there next to the “religious people,” a woman who realized the truth—that her sins had been exposed for all to see—that she was guilty because she felt it deep inside her being—and that she deserved the punishment found in the Law.
I can also see the “unbelievers” there too, watching, waiting to see what Jesus would do.
Wow, what a crowd of people!
Wow, what a crowd of sinners—of all humanity!
Then, Jesus stooped back down and again began to write in the dirt.
No one really knows what Jesus was writing, and probably that really doesn’t matter for the words that Jesus wrote—He wrote upon their hearts that day, just as Jesus still writes today upon our hearts.
We may know the rest of the story, and today, as I re-read the Scripture, I was reminded of the words of Paul demonstrated through the actions of Jesus Christ, my Savior.
Jesus stooped and wrote on the ground.
One-by-One, each of the “religious people” who knew the truth in their hearts—they too were NOT WITHOUT SIN—these people quietly walked away from the woman caught in adultery, dropping their stones on the ground (I am sure) as they walked away from the temple that day.
Then “Straightening up, Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Did not one condemn you?’
She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.’ “
(John 8: 1-11)
Mother Teresa was a woman who left her position of family wealth, and with a heart full of compassion, traveled to Calcutta, India to give her life as a missionary. She was not a perfect woman; she was just a woman who strived every day to live as Jesus instructs us to live. Mother Teresa was a person, just like we are people too. She was born into iniquity, just as we too were born in sin. We were born, and since we were—born—the Bible reminds us that we are all sinners, that there is no one who is perfect & without sin—EXCEPT JESUS CHRIST, the SON of GOD!
Mother Teresa demonstrated how we are to “love one people in Jesus’ name,” and she gave us these words as encouragement—“Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you.”
The man named Saul, who was a persecutor of Christians before Jesus saved His soul called himself the “chief sinner.” The Apostle Paul knew he was without sin, just as he knew all people struggled with this thing called “SIN.”
Thus, let us not be hurlers of stones, of accusations, throwing rocks at those who sin.
- Let us not be people who condemn brothers and sisters who sin (like we do).
- Let us not be people who condemn unbelievers who sin (like we do).
- Let us not be people who throw rocks at those who sin differently than we do.
- Let us look in our own mirrors and see our sin as Almighty God sees our sin.
Alas, let us be people of compassion & forgiveness.
- Let us be the church of Jesus Christ.
- Let us live as the children of God.
- Let us walk and speak and love out loud as the Holy Spirit leads us each day.
- Let us begin today.
- Let us begin with the person nearest us.
The Apostle Paul led the believers at Colossae to live their faith out loud.
“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.
For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience,
and in them you also once walked,
when you were living in them. . . .”
”So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience;
bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, . . .”
”Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. . . .”
“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”
(Colossians 3: 1-17)
Today, I am reminded:
Let Us Not Be Hurlers of Rocks!
BUT—
- Let Us Be People of Compassion & Forgiveness!
- Let Us See Those Who Sin Differently Than We Do!
- Let Us Be People Who Let the Peace of Christ Rule in Our Hearts!
- Let Us Do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ!
AND—
Let Us Give Thanks to Our Father, Almighty God, Thanking Him for Sending Jesus, His Son to Save a Sinner Such As Us—As You & As Me!