Monday 5th Week of Lent

 

Throwing Stones Jn. 8:1-11

Lay Down Your Stones

In ancient Israel it was and sad to say in some religions still today, customary to stone a woman caught in adultery.

It is a brutal and heartless act.

What is harder than the stones that are being thrown however are the hearts that are throwing them!

Sin however is not something that can be stoned out of a person or out of society.

Oftentimes personal sin and social sin are intertwined.

Because People do not grow up in a vacuum.

They learn good and evil, sin and holiness from those around them.

While we must always take responsibility for our actions and our sins,

No one grows up wanting to be a tax collector, prostitute, thief, murderer, or whatever.

There are often circumstances and situations in their life caused by family, friends, society, poverty, racism, bigotry, or war that open them up to sin and then they personally choose to walk through that door.

This circumstance or situation that all of us find ourselves in is called Original Sin.

Original Sin infected and affected everything in creation.

So that no one is without sin.

So the question is what do we do?

How do we get rid of sin?

Some people try to stone others by throwing actual stones while others choose to stone people with their words.

Neither way works.

Jesus shows us two things.

First of all there are not the righteous and the unrighteous.

Everyone has sinned and therefore no one should be stoned, physically or verbally.

Secondly, God offers forgiveness to all of us.

But forgiveness is not enough.

Then we must go and sin no more.

What we need to do is lay down our stones and pick up God's forgiveness.