Throwing Stones

“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

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, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.” John 8:3-8 NIV

A few years ago now, I read an article about a local pastor who had suddenly resigned from his church under allegations of alcohol abuse and other behavioral issues (anger issues, wrongful advances, etc.) Now, I am not justifying his actions and behaviors by any stretch of the imagination. If he had these issues, then yes, he should have stepped down. I pray that has gotten the help he needs.

That being said, what really broke my heart were the comments that followed the article and the social media posts about the resignation. This once well respected pastor, who had left one church because of the denomination’s stance on marriage was no longer one he could support (among other things) and then started another successful church in the area (with a different denomination), was beaten up, beaten down, lambasted and verbally stoned because of his fall from grace.

Isn’t that just like us? 
Even as church-goers? 
Even as proclaimed “Christians”? 
Isn’t that just like us?
Wolves, or worse yet, hyenas eating our own. Ripping to shreds and destroying the down, the weak, the hurting. Crying out “Stone him! We’ve caught him in his sin. Stone him now!”

Where’s the compassion? Where’s the grace of the Believers? Where are the ones who will pick up the pieces of the broken? Who will love on him, and help him get the help he so desperately needs? Where are the followers of Christ?

Granted, as a pastor, a leader, a teacher, he is held to a higher accountability, but... Come on... Why do we shred up and eat our own?

What if this were a church member and not a pastor? Would our response be any different? Would we be willing to stand in the gap for them? Pray for them? Help them through the darkness?

“Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone...”

I read an article earlier that same week about a pastor from California who committed suicide. He had a young vibrant family, was pastoring a thriving and growing church, but his depression and anxiety ultimately got the best of him. He struggled and tried to keep it together for the sake of his family and the church, afraid of the stones that would come his way if he opened up about his struggles and the darkness he secretly fought. The pressure to be perfect, an overwhelming task. Too overwhelming to overcome.

“Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone...”

Now here I am this morning reading about the crowds that screamed out “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” just days after they had been singing His praises, “Hosanna! Hosanna to the king!”

The wolves ready to devour the blasphemer – the One who knew no sin, the Son of God, the Savior of the world. The verbal stones thrown… the cross prepared.

Who among us will stand with the broken, the hurting, the embarrassed, the fallen?

Those among us without sin, throw the first stone… yes, throw the first stone.

Please continue to pray for the fallen pastor and his family (I know some of us have been). Please pray for the family and the congregation of the one who lost his fight… and pray for us all to be the people that we say we are (or want to be), the followers of Christ that we are called to be.

Keep the Faith… Carpe Diem

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” – John 8:9-11 NIV