STONE CATCHERS

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