Throwing the Stone

" Early in the morning, Jesus arrived again in the temple area. . . Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him, 'Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the last, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?'
They said this to test Him, so they could have some charge to bring against Him. . .
When they continued asking Him, He straightened up and said to them, 'Let the first among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.'
And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. . .
So, He was left alone with the woman before Him.
Jesus said to her, 'Woman, where are they?' Has no one condemned you?'
She replied, 'No one, sir.'
Then, Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on, sin no more.' " --[John 8:1-11].


In this age of the Internet and social media, no one can never outlive the gossip and the harsh judgment for every action, big sin or little, that we have committed.

Must a person be endlessly flogged, for the rest of his life? Do we not believe that a person can ever offer his deep apologies, receive his due consequences, and then, change for the better?

Have you ever thought that most news content, and much social media content, is all about "throwing
the stone"? Without such harsh scrutinies and endless judgment, the airwaves would go largely silent.


Growing up, I was the innocent scapegoat, in a family with an ugly and cruel dynamic. Whatever toxic dysfunctions went on, they were taken out against me, a tiny innocent girl.

You would think that I would turn toxic myself, and hate my family, and by extension, everyone in my town -- or why not, in the whole world?!!

No. My experience has given me a huge heart of compassion and mercy. Sometimes, I think that if the worst sinners and abusers against you are your family, then you are meant to learn that there is NO ONE whom you cannot forgive.

I have found that when I do indulge in a little judgment and gossip, I am often totally wrong about that person:

The loving mom who abruptly skipped town, leaving her husband and kids behind? Bad marriage, people said. Nope, she was desperately seeking treatment for her advancing cancer.

The meandering, agonizingly slow driver in front of me? An "idiot driver"?  Nope, she was lost.

That boss who barely said hello in the elevator? Arrogant snob? Nope. He was coming down with the flu, and had to go home as soon as he had arrived.

Then, what about people who are not unfairly misjudged, but do real wrong?

That diner in a restaurant, yelling at the waiter about how there was to be no cheese in her dish, and the rice should come WITH the meal but on the side? What if you found out that she had a serious eating disorder, the result of a traumatic childhood? She was dysfunctionally attempting to control everything in her environment, including the food, the cook and the waiter.

The type of women who become promiscuous and who, resultingly, undergo several abortions? Condemned forever for serious sins? No, often, these are women who had been seriously abused as a child. The hurt in their soul becomes even more searing after these sins, and they suffer for the rest of their days.

Who among us wants to go down that slippery slope of who is guilty, and how guilty are they?

When it comes to my own family and all their awful cruelties, I do not want to be the judge of what they have done and what their consequences ought to be. It is all too big for me. God is big enough to handle it. I am not. Perseverating on these issues of judgment makes me feel --
oh so much worse.  Standing in judgment forces me to go over and over in my mind the harsh events of the past. I am haunting myself, instead of healing.

I do  NOT pray that God rains His merciless harshness down upon them. No, I pray continually that God does NOT send them to that dark place, where there is a burning fire that is never quenched.

The thought of them in eterernal damnation does not comfort me.

I let go, and I let God judge. By that Mercy, it is I who am healed.

[Related Posting: "Casting the First Stone", March 1`8, 2013.]

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