Throwing Stones

John 8:6-8 “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her”

A few years ago I got an email letting me know a mutual acquaintance had died. I felt really bad that day even though I hadn't seen him in years. He wasn't a church attender even though I invited him to church several times when I pastored in the area.

I tried to talk to him about Jesus on several occasions, but realized soon that he didn’t want to talk about religion or God. So I would let him know he was always welcome at church and I would pray for him when he would ask on the occasions I would see him.

One day he opened up and told me this story. A very sad story of how a church had harshly condemned his family when he was a child over something really stupid. I could see and hear how this condemnation and shunning affected him even after many years. It was bad enough that he lost his faith in God and the church.

After I got the news of his death, I thought about the power of the spoken word and deed. You can never take them back. They are like feathers floating through the air and are not retrievable. They cause damage and pain that never goes away. I have another close friend who is out of church today and divorced from his companion because of a family in his church that got a vendetta against him. It was their lies and harsh treatment that drove a wedge between him and God and literally caused his marriage to collapse.

Even though we have all experienced the pain of being condemned at various times in our lives, let’s focus today on what we have done to others. Is there someone you have judged, harshly condemned or shunned? Pray that the Lord will give you a chance to show His love to them and to ask forgiveness for harsh words and deeds. Pray for their restoration and the restoration of thousands like them in our world today. Don't throw any more stones because one day they just might come back at you!