He rolled the stone over and over in his hands, would he really have thrown it? Really, after everything? Had the Rabbi not stood in front of her would he really have thrown it. ?
The truth was he’d wanted the Rabbi to condemn her, wanted his permission to say that the hate building in his heart was justified, that it was a good and holy reaction to a disgusting betrayal.
But he hadn’t
The others all had their own reasons for wanting her shamed… not shamed he thought killed, for wanting her killed. Already any honour was stripped from that one simple change of focus.
They had watched, as so slowly the Rabbi had bent down and carved his finger through the sand forming the words… as he’d looked up he’d been unable to escape the sense of study, A stare that penetrated his very flesh to the core of his being. For that moment, he felt naked and exposed, nothing was hidden from the Nazarene. The hate and anger loomed large as ugly, as if the ugly had consumed him so much there was little else to see. The gaze of the Nazarene had burnt through it, though he wasn’t sure at that moment what was left.
The others, he imagined must have experienced the same, as one by one he heard the dead thud of the stones hitting the ground behind him. And the felt, not heard retreat of those men who had been so full of rage and indignation with him.
He dropped the stone, watched as it rolled so slightly away, the rabbi smiled, as the last one present he looked down at the still crumpled and sobbing woman, with his heart still broken, he held his hand out to take his wife home.
There are so many reasons for throwing stones, Valid justified reasons, reasons the world says that stone throwing is the right and only response.
Even more so when you’ve been hurt, you’ve had a life of bruising from stones being thrown at you, but this time, well this time you are the one in the right. Is it not fair and just that you now throw those stones back?
Fear throws stones, fear of looking weak if you turn a blind eye, fear of being seen as different, fear the crowd will choose you next if you aren’t playing along, fear that if you don’t stand up loudly and publicly against, you too may fall into this same sin or at least be seen to.
Fear keeps us casting stones to keep our own failings away.
Perhaps the smooth round stone you’ve chosen is really being aimed at your own guilt, weariness or frustration at an inner battle being fought and lost daily in your mind. maybe here today and in this place with this stone it feels like you win,
maybe the stone is your only defence. Maybe the stone is a defence that holds others at bay, protection from your own failings, from finding out the real you.
You see hurt people, hurt people. What is it that places that smooth, weighty Boulder in your palm with the desire to launch it? Only you and him know the full back story,
who is crouched the other side of Jesus for you? That abusive father, the benefit frauders, the drunk driver, the person who parked in your space outside your house, maybe the politician, the policemen, the priest. Maybe it’s you,
Without the Lords intervention we get stuck at the justified stage, that’s ok, He is bigger than your stones.
Jesus Is standing before you now, just like he did for them, like a mirror, in which you can clearly see your anger or irritation or contempt or intolerance revealing there’s something in you that needs to be brought before him and healed, and while you are standing face to face with him, notice how he sees and loves you…still.
The mercy isn’t just for one you are stoning, he’s holding out that same mercy to you,
if you can, if you can today just put down the stones. This God knows too well the pain of an unfaithful bride. What it’s like to be mocked, betrayed, misunderstood… Yet shows us empty, open hands, His, raised only to bless.
Here’s a beautiful thing, the woman crumpled and broken for her choices, she stands back up confidently with the safety of Jesus in front of her, and whilst her accusers are looking at their own souls, she looks at them through Jesus. Maybe with the compassion she has just received, compassion for all the wounds and stories that have brought each of them there.
Forgiveness changes your heart, and a changed heart touches other hearts and that changes neighbourhoods and neighbourhoods change cities…cities touch countries, he only asks us to love and forgive in this tiny corner of the world, in this church, in this home, in this family.
When we allow HIM to stand in our midst, he willingly takes the sting of the stones for us. we only truly get hit when we have stepped aside from him.
We have all received and propelled those stones of judgement and condemnation. I’m going to invite you now to bring those times to the Lord for a deeper understanding and healing… don’t avoid his gaze, don’t fear the vulnerability,
Remember you are safely wrapped up within this gaze of His Mercy.
