Throwing Stones

Have you ever heard the expression “throwing rocks and hiding your hand?” This slang expression is used to describe someone who intentionally hurts another and then does all that they can to hide their indiscretion. In John 8:1-12 we find the story of some scribes and Pharisees with literal rocks in their hands. They approach Jesus accusing a woman of adultery saying that they caught her in the very act. Don’t get me started on the “why” of why they were in a place where they could actually see someone in the act of adultery; that’s another article.

 

Verse 5 tells us that the men were seeking Jesus' advice on whether they should stone the woman or not, and verse 6 says they were testing Jesus. Quick question: “When you test someone, shouldn’t you already know the correct answer?” Anyway, initially Jesus ignored them because he knew they were testing him and speaking foolishness. We should try this method; ignore people who are trying to test us when it comes to our everyday lives as well as our spiritual and political convictions. 

Finally Jesus acknowledged the woman’s accusers and simply said in verse 7, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” Needless to say the men where quickly detoured; they dropped their rocks, turned, and walked away, no doubt mulling over their own sins in their minds as they left.  In light of the recent election and all the political stone throwing that went on in our world of late, isn’t it important to consider your own downfalls before pointing out the missteps of another?

Matthew 7:4-5 says, “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye; and look, a plank is in your own eye?” “Hypocrite, first remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

No one is perfect, but it behooves us to make a conscious effort to live in a Christian manner at all times rather than always searching for faults in others. The majority of the time when you throw a stone at someone or something, you are intending to cause harm. Let us be careful when it comes to pointing fingers and throwing stones because you never know when those stones will be wrongfully hurled in your direction. We reap what we sow.

Think about it.