How easy it is to throw stones........

"Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery."  John 8.4

These men have won the prize - a woman, caught in the VERY ACT of committing adultery.

What a great way to perk up your week.  Nothing dull about this.  No, this is a juicy one, a ripe opportunity for gossip and speculation and, just guessing here, a little vicarious sexual satisfaction.  In the center of all their righteous indignation is a wee bit of anticipation.  This woman was their perfect opportunity to acquit themselves.  You see, next to this woman caught in the VERY ACT of adultery, they looked pretty good.

Of course she wasn't supposed to be sexually intimate with someone other than her husband.  Of course not.  Jesus doesn't want God's beloved people to so disregard one another that they would violate this most tender place.  Where is there love in that?

But Jesus seems to think that there is a little too much pleasure among her accusers, a little too much hefting of stones so they can be ready to stone her.  Jesus seems to think that they haven't thought this one all the way through.....all the way to considering whether they could be called into the center of the circle for some action.  Jesus seems to think that given a chance to think about it, they will re-consider all the places in their lives where they have fallen short and instead of stoning they will be led to repentance.

Jesus bends down and writes on the ground without answering their question.  I do so wonder what he wrote.  Perhaps he was just doodling, biding his time until the men came to their senses or he could think of an appropriate response.  Some scholars point to this connection to the dirt and are reminded of the creation story where humans were made out of dirt.  Some have speculated that he bent down so he was at the same level as the woman in the middle of the circle.  Who knows?

But most of us remember the question he posed to the accusers, "Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."

This woman was ...'the other' ....the one we can judge, accuse, be better than; the one we can exclude from the circle.  This woman gave all present the opportunity to re-assert their own righteousness....a way of saying to God, "See?  I am worthy."

Jesus gave them no such opening.  In the righteousness game we are all losers when we stand on our own.  Without the love of God poured out in Jesus, we are beggars one and all.  Jesus is not going to hit us over the head to remind us of this, but he will ask a few very pointed questions.

Perhaps you can use your stones to build an altar to this God of love where you can mention all that makes you 'other' to the so called righteous ones in our day.