12/20/07 - Life Journal - Casting..........stones?

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
John 8:6-8

What was He writing? I wish I knew, it doesn't say, but I have a feeling. I picture Jesus listing off the sins these Rabbi's and Pharisee's were themselves guilty of, and while he threw the idea of stoning back in there faces he continued on with his silent condemnation. He was setting them straight without publicly chastising them when, as a sinless man, he had every right to "toss some stones".

This verses teaches me two things, how not to but also how to deal with someone caught up in a sinful situation. First how to conduct myself , who is a sinful being in the first place, no judging others for there is only one true judge and one final day of judgement. I have my own problems to take care of without debasing anyone else that is wallowing in some sin or another. That leads me to the "how to" part of the lesson. Dealing in private with the person, on a one on one level does a million times better than a church wide, office wide, house wide, whatever wide beat down.

Father, your words keep hitting me in the gut, bringing light to problems I know or in some cases don't know I have. Open my heart to heed the teaching I receive.