Dropping Stones

Today, as we continue to Prepare 90 Days for Easter (P90E), we read John 8, Luke 18.15-17, and Matthew 10.45. 

In John 8 Jesus is confronted with a woman who was caught in an adulterous act.  The man was not dragged in but the woman sure was. Isn't that interesting? Those who brought her in wanted to see how Jesus would respond: would He let her go and condone sin or would he condemn the sin and let her execution go forth?  He did neither.  He said that the sinless one ought to throw the first stone.  Every man held his rock.  He then wrote in the sand.  What did he write? Don't you wish you knew?  Whatever it was caused the men to drop their stones and go home. He then said, as recorded in John 8.10-11- Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
11 She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."

There are two common misconceptions about this passage that I want to address. The first one that I have heard often is: we have no right to judge.  Normally when someone says that he means that we do not have a right to judge what sin is. We don't have to though. God already has. We don't have a right to condemn, but we need to know right from wrong.  Just remember that we will be judged on the same standard.

The other misconception is that somehow this passage states that we are not to confront sin.  We are just to leave those matters alone when we see it ravaging through someone's life.  That is not true either. Jesus told the lady to go and sin no more.  For true forgiveness to come, there has to be a change.

This passage also reminds us that we can be forgiven of whatever sin and that after we confess it and are forgiven,  we are to walk away from it.

Walk away from sin today and drop your stones as you go.