A Pocket Full of Posers

“The teachers of the law…brought in a woman caught…They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the act…In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women.  Now what do you say?’  But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with His finger.  ‘If any of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone.’  Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground…At this, those…began to go away one at a time…” John 8:3-9.

We are all guilty as Christians of casting stones as we drag our boulders around.  We judge people and drag them before others with our tongues.  We have loaded our pockets with rocks for the perfect stoning.  We have even brought them before God in our prayers… ‘But Father, he lied!’  ‘But Lord, she is a manipulator!’   Meanwhile our hands are deep in our pockets rubbing that stone back and forth.  It is so easy to point out the sins of others, and build a case for stoning all in the name of God’s laws.

‘Now what do you say, Jesus?’ they demanded.  He said nothing but stooped to the ground and began writing in the sand.  As the group was pointing fingers Jesus was using his finger to reveal something.  Could it be that He was quietly revealing the sins of those condemning the woman?  ‘Unforgiving spirit’ appears in the sand and one walks away.  ‘Withholding kindness’ becomes clear as the man to his right drops his stone.  ‘Stealing taxes’ is the next phrase that appears in the sand and his stone falls.  The point was taken and the only two people left were the only ones that should have been involved in the first place…the sinner and the Savior…the one needing to be forgiven and the Forgiver!

What are your pockets filled with today?