By: Wendy Duckworth Vance
In John chapter 8, the writer discusses an incident in which a woman, caught in adultery, was brought by a group of individuals to Yeshua to either entrap Him in a false teaching or a violation of the Law of Moses. Beginning in verse 6, we see Yeshua’s response, “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, ‘Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’ Again, he stooped down and wrote on the ground.” (NIV)
I have heard from various teachers that Yeshua was writing something related to the past or current lives of the individuals who brought her to Him. Whether or not this is true, I do not know, however, I do assume that whatever He was writing was probably about them. I assume this is based on the reaction of the crowd in verse 9, “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.” What caused them to walk away? Because whatever He was writing, these individuals realized that they were not, in fact, free from sin themselves and they released their stones of condemnation. And how did Yeshua respond to this? Did He pick up a stone and stone her to death, since He was the only one without sin in this equation?
NO! – He did not! In fact, if you continue to read the text beginning in verse 10, “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.” Shock and amazement (sarcasm intended), He forgave her! He did not condemn her, He didn’t say to walk around with some badge of disgrace – a blazing letter A on her chest; He didn’t holler at the crowd that they should follow her around the rest of her life reminding her of her past. No, He said “neither do I condemn you” and told her to go and sin no more. He extended grace to her, the same grace that He extends to you and me for our lives before we came to know, love, and follow Him. He kept the word of promise and prophesy given to us in Psalm 103:11-12, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.(ESV).
So, if this is how Christ handled the situation, how then should we act as individuals who claim to be followers, redeemed past sinners, children of God when someone professes Christ whose past is littered with sin? Well, apparently, if you listen to people on social media or these folks who travel around to scream hateful things at people’s funerals and school-aged students across the street from their schools, there is no forgiveness, only judgment, and condemnation.
Apparently, unless you were always a holy roller (as we would say back home), then you are not welcome in the family of God. I base this opinion on a lot of hate-filled rhetoric that I have heard and seen coming out of believers in recent years.
For example, a Christian radio station aired and placed on their social media a video post in which Jim Carey was discussing his faith and the role of suffering in a faith journey. The comments that followed were so hateful, condemning one thing and then another from his past, as well as condemning the radio station, saying that all the people working for the radio were unsaved because they aired his testimony. I mean the stones were flying. I don’t know if Jim Carey is saved or not and it is not my place to judge; that is between him and God. Nor do I know when he may have given his life to Christ. This video could have been made 5 minutes after he became saved.
I think it is certainly recent, given that he appears to be older. Many of his television and movie roles that folks might find objectionable were done when he was younger. Yet, even without knowing the specifics of his apparent conversion, there were so many comments calling him evil, saying that they can’t “see the fruit,”or just blatantly saying that he is a false Christian.
Seriously? He is being condemned for a past for which he may have just repented, and folks are going to crucify the man for a past for which God has said that He would cast sins as far as the east is from the west.
So, then are we better or smarter than God? Are we, as believers, saying to God, “Look, God, I know you said you would forgive all but that’s just dumb, you can’t forgive this dude because…” Fill in the blank yourself.
The incident above is a very public example of what can and does happen to people within the body of believers. Think about it, the girl who had a baby and wasn’t married - did people whisper about her?
What about the person who has been divorced and re-married?
What about the former prostitute, addict, or drug dealer - are they welcome, or is there plenty of room next to them on the pew?
What about you, what could Yeshua write in the sand about you?
Are you perfect, without sin, can you cast the first stone, or be crucified for the sins of the world?
Let me be the first to say I can’t! There is nothing perfect about me and I have much in my past that Yeshua could write in the sand about me. I am not perfect, I am covered in the blood of Christ, forgiven. I am like that woman that was brought to Yeshua to whom He said, “neither do I condemn you.” Since I am not perfect, I have no choice but to allow my stone to fall from my hand.
Please understand that when we stand in condemnation, when we refuse to allow people to be separated from their sin because of continual reminders of their past, we are not acting as agents of the King but rather as agents of Satan.
Now I am not saying that we are to ignore a believer who continues in willful sin; there are scriptures that discuss how to handle that situation. I am talking about how we treat people who have given their life to Christ and are in the process of becoming Christ-like. Please understand, that even after salvation, it is a process of work that Christ does within us to make us more like Himself. It is a very rare circumstance indeed that someone is saved and suddenly becomes a different person. I have lost count of the years since I gave my life to Christ, and there are still issues that Christ works with me on regularly.
Should I then say that because Christ is still cleaning up the temple in me or because of my past, that I am not a child of God and deny my salvation? Certainly not, that would be tantamount to rejecting Christ’s shed blood and forgiveness.
I want to leave you with the lyrics of a Casting Crowns song, Jesus, Friend of Sinners, as I think this sums up what I am saying. “The world is on their way to You, but they're trippin' over me. Always lookin' around, but never lookin' up, I'm so double minded. A plank eyed saint with dirty hands and a heart divided.”
Today, I call on all of you to take a long look in the mirror, are you a “double-minded, planked-eyed saint with dirty hands”? Ask yourself, “if my salvation was based on looking at my past rather than on the shed blood of Yeshua, then would my name be in the Lamb’s Book of Life?” Are you a perfect being that did not need Christ’s forgiveness?
Since the answer to both is no, as we know that Christ is the only one who has ever been without sin, then none of us fits Christ’s criteria for who can “cast the first stone”. Perhaps we should include another of the verses of this song as our prayer, “Jesus, friend of sinners, the one who's writing in the sand, Made the righteous turn away and the stones fall from their hands. Help us to remember we are all the least of these. Let the memory of Your mercy bring Your people to their knees.” Now stand to your feet, and let the stones fall away.
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