STONE CATCHERS
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
John 8:1-13 …
Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. And early in the morning He came again into
the temple, and all the people came to Him. And He sat down and taught them. And
the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman taken in adultery. And
standing her in the midst, they said to Him, Teacher, this woman was taken in
adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the Law commanded us that such should
be stoned. You, then, what do you say? They said this, tempting Him so that
they might have reason to accuse Him. But bending down, Jesus wrote on the
ground with His finger, not appearing to hear. But as they continued to ask
Him, He lifted Himself up and said to them, He who is without sin among you,
let him cast the first stone at her. And again bending down, He wrote on the
ground. And hearing, and being convicted by conscience, they went out one by
one, beginning at the oldest, until the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the
woman standing in the midst. And bending back up, and seeing no one but the
woman, Jesus said to her, Woman, where are the ones who accused you? Did not
one give judgment against you? And she said, No one, Lord. And Jesus said to
her, Neither do I give judgment. Go, and sin no more. Then Jesus spoke again to
them, saying, I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in
darkness, but shall have the light of life. Therefore the Pharisees said to
Him, You bear record concerning yourself; your witness is not true.
Nowhere in
Scripture is it revealed what Jesus wrote in the soil.
I lean toward His
writing sins of those standing there with stone in hand. I think this as having
carried pocket full of stones at the ready, I know what words would have caught
my attention and still do; not words in defense of those about to be stoned,
but words having to do with my being an offender.
One of the great
compliments is to deem someone a stone catcher.
Jesus was and
still is The Stone Catcher.
Once we mature to the level of not condemning,
but forgiving, we have not yet attained position of a stone catcher, for it is
yet another step forward.
Forgiving is
wonderfully freeing, but should not be thought of as being mature as our Father
in heaven is mature. (Mt.5:48) Forgiveness indeed opens the path to maturation;
truly proofed by applying said maturity to all of life’s labors.
We are to accept
God’s gracious forgiveness, then rejoice and live in the blessed release now
free from the yoke of guilt and shame. We are not however to domicile narrowly
there, for His liberty opens the path to responsibility of being a stone
catcher.
Being one of
God’s stone catchers may entail geographical distance, but even if eventually
so, it always involves journey in faith where we presently physically reside. (Rom.1:17)
I close with the
always applicable words penned by the Apostle James: “Do not err, my beloved
brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down
from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning. Of
His own will He brought us forth with the Word of truth, for us to be a certain
firstfruit of His creatures. Therefore, my beloved brothers, let every man be
swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. For the wrath of man does not work
out the righteousness of God. Therefore putting aside all filthiness and
overflowing of evil, receive in meekness the implanted Word, which is able to
save your souls. But become doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving
your own selves. For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is
like a man studying his natural face in a mirror. For he studied himself and
went his way, and immediately he forgot what he was like. But whoever looks
into the perfect Law of liberty and continues in it, he is not a forgetful
hearer, but a doer of the work. This one shall be blessed in his doing.”
(Jam.1:16-27)
EBB4
