It Starts Small

I came across this saying a while back. There was a really dumb saying most people my age (late 30s early 40s) will remember. It became the cornerstone of schools and guidance counselor posters all over school.

Sticks and stone may break my bones, but words won’t.

What an incredibly dumb campaign! Satan knew what he was doing when he inspired some fool to preach that.

When I heard this saying, can’t throw stones when washing feet, I was reminded of this saying.

Hate and Love cannot exist in the same heart. They are the complete polar opposites to each other! You are either one or the other but can not possess both.

Casting Stones

The Biblical event tied to the phrase “casting stones” is found in John 8:2-11. We learn from this event that a woman was dragged into the temple and throw forcefully down at the feet of Jesus by the Pharisees. She had been caught in the act of adultery and they of demanded Jesus what should be done with her. We all know this story, but I believe there is a verse we overlook.

⁶ This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. John 8:6

There are so many things that were wrong with this entire situation. We will not go into the situation itself, but rather focus on the motive behind it. The Pharisees wanted to tempt Jesus so they could accuse him.

Accuse him.

The greek word here is katēgoreō. It means properly, to speak against in court, in the assembly of the people. It is used 21 times in the NT. Every single occurrence in the gospels dealt with the Pharisees testing Jesus to accuse him. There is an interesting occurance of this word in Revelations:

¹⁰ And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. Revelation 12:10

Casting stones at one another is accusing one another of something. We desire that someone be brought before the moral court and found guilty so that we can punish them by stoning them. The spirit of accusation only comes from source and that is satan himself. In all of God’s Word, we never read that God is our accuser. Jesus is our accuser, or the Holy Spirit is our accuser. We are convicted by the Holy Spirit of our sin, but never accused.

⁷ So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. John 8:7

Jesus is saying, those here today, if you are perfect, throw the stone at her. This was part of the Moses Law they had forgotten. When anyone was accused of a crime punished by death, it was the witnesses that witnessed the crime that had to be sinless and they were the ones that cast the stones.

Rabbit Trail….. I often wonder in this passage of scripture, what Jesus was writing on the ground that day was the sins of all who stood there. I wonder if he wrote the law upon the ground and was reminding them of their own sin. I wonder if the motives of their hearts were being written on the ground.

Jesus shows and teaches us something very important in these passages. The law of Moses was a man made moral code that was impossible to follow. If you have managed to read the law yourself, you might shake your head at all the cleanliness requirements, and sacrifices needed just for having a common cold. It was a moral code written by Moses to steer the people into moral living, but there was NO salvation in it. IT did not matter how many times they sacrificed turtle doves and rams. Jesus was showing the people in the temple that day that he was the lamb sacrifice. He became what they law could not do.

Jesus also showed us something accusers. These people had no care for this woman. They were right to judge her sin and hold her accountable to their laws, but they were not after accountability. They wanted Jesus to condemn this woman. They sought this woman out, in the act of immorality, so they could drag her in front of Jesus and put Him on the spot. Is that not what we do today? We want to drag someone in the middle of the room, shine a spotlight on them, and for all in the room to condemn them? We do not care about them as a person, we only care about destroying them.
Only people with dishonorable intentions who want to accuse, trap, and humiliate someone who stands in truth, in this case, Jesus!  

Washing of the Feet

Jesus knew she sinned. The people knew she had sinned. The Pharisees knew she had sinned. The woman knew she had sinned. They were so deaf and blind by the motive and desire to trap, accuse and humiliate Jesus, that he stood up and spoke:

⁷ So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. ⁸ And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. ⁹ And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. Romans 7:7-9

Conviction can hit like a thousand pound stone. Picture what is happening here. Jesus is kneeled down writing on the ground, a crowd had gathered and they insisted He answer them. They were either too stubborn or stupid to not get the message. When someone ignores you, walk away. Jesus ignored them, but they just kept at it.

Jesus raised Himself up. Picture Jesus, fed up with their pleas and patience running out, peeled Himself up off the ground to clarify the message: He who is without sin among you let him throw a stone at her first. Those, apparently the entire room, finally heard His message and were convicted.

Accusations are not the same as accountability. Jesus had exposed the hearts of these people. Their motive was not godly. The Holy Spirit is our guide and what convicts us of wrongdoing. He does not accuse us, but gently reminds us that our sin separates us from communion with our Heavenly Father. Jesus did not accuse the woman. He did something remarkable that we should all practice:

¹⁰ When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? ¹¹ She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. Romans 8:10-11

Jesus does not condemn us, nor should we condemn others.

Sin no more.

He washed the feet of this woman. HIs heart was a heart of compassion. He acknowledge her sin, forgave her, and said to her, sin no more. Only true redemption, when Jesus washes our own feet, can we boldly go and turn away from the old nature of sin. There is no accusation in love. Jesus calls us to serve one another in the Spirit of love and to be an encouragement. Standing amongst the crowds of those with stones, Jesus calls us to lay the stone down, and minister to the needs of those who are sinners. He did not say, hide the sin, condemn the sin, or excuse the sin. He simply said go, and sin no more.

As brothers and sisters in the body of CHrist we need to stop poking the wounds of others. Sinners know their own sin. Most often sin is caused by a gaping emotional or spiritual wound caused by someone else. People who are caught in what we label the worst of sins are the very people sought out to make whole. Find one example in the Bible, were Jesus walked into a temple and called a holy righteous pharisee to follow him. You will not find it. NO, as Paul said, Jesus calls the lowest and the most depraved. The ones the world would stone.

When we focus on washing feet, we do not give room in our heart to cast stones.

Think about the accusations in your heart towards others. Lay those stones down and ask Jesus how you can minster to their need. Perhaps it is forgiveness you need to give. Perhaps it is introspection of your own life you need. It is easier to focus on the sin of others and feel good about yourself condemning another because it takes the spotlight off your own heart.