Sunday Musings: put down the stones

Once again, Sunday Musings appears on Monday. Better late than never.

The Scripture passage below is sometimes used to argue that we can’t tell someone when they’re moving in the wrong direction. That’s not quite accurate. While we’re not to condemn anyone for their actions, we can point out when they aren’t living prudently. Of course, they don’t have to take our advice, but we can at least put it out there!

Notice that Jesus doesn’t say, “I don’t condemn you, so go ahead and keep adultering.” He wants the woman to go down the right path. He gives her a second chance.

We all deserve second chances.

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 law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.
So what do you say?”
They said this to test him,
so that they could have some charge to bring against him.
Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.
But when they continued asking him,
he straightened up and said to them,
“Let the one among you who is without sin
be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.
And in response, they went away one by one,
beginning with the elders.
So he was left alone with the woman before him.
Then Jesus straightened up and 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 do not sin any more.”