Thirty-seven years ago I was the woman we read about at the beginning of John chapter eight. Every word my accusers said about me was true. Every stone they were ready to cast was deserved.
Each time I read this chapter I am reminded of that other life I lived so long ago and how disconnected I feel from her. Just like the woman in this chapter, I too was given another chance by Jesus and I too had shame cast away from me like a cloak I no longer had to wear.
Imagine my surprise as I read through it again with fresh eyes this time, not looking at the same ole thing but waiting to see what new thing God might show me instead. It is then I noticed something in verse seven I had not seen before:
“But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”
This time my attention went to the first half of the verse, especially to the word “persisted”. They kept on and kept on. I tried putting myself in their shoes so I could see their faces and realized they could have not cared less about this woman. Their anger was not directed at her, it was directed at Jesus! She was just the tool they were using to try and trap Jesus into saying something they could use to accuse HIM, not her, otherwise they would not have bothered asking at all, but would have proceeded to stone her immediately.
Oh I whole-heartedly believe they would have thrown stones had the cloak of shame not been taken from her and cast onto them instead, but let’s be honest and consider that their true intention might have been to stone the man standing next to her instead.
How many of us hold stones ready to throw at Jesus whenever we experience an injustice? How well do we really know Jesus? What is it that we’re are accusing Him of? Perhaps it’s time to drop the stones and embrace His love and forgiveness instead.
Alabastersky 
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