Immediately I felt my heart break. I finished speaking to the guys I was visiting with, got in my car, and drove away. As I was driving, I was replaying what had happened and not only what was said, but what wasn't said. I turned the radio off, and just drove in silence. As I was driving I heard these words in my mind:
"Drop the rock, Jackass."
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 ?" But Jesus bend down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If anyone of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 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 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 sin no more." (John 8)
Drop the rock.
Jesus exemplifies the heart, soul, the spirit of an advocate. Notice, in this passage when the Pharisees first start bringing the faults of this woman, he doesn't answer. That shows to me the spirit of an advocate is slow to speak. If we're all being honest, I think it's pretty easy to allow the spirit of an accuser seep it's way into our life.
But if we're all being honest, I think it's easier to become the spirit of the accuser. We've all had a rock or two in our hands. It's even easier to say "Oh, not me. I'm not an accuser. I'm a champion for others. I root for success." But our hearts, our attitudes, our spirit says different.
I've noticed that most accusers have borders they put up, certain people they attack, and certain people they leave be. We easily throw rocks at those who are outside our walls. Politicians, athletes, celebrities, homeless, addicted, those different. Those we don't know. It's easy to say "I can't believe what they did. I can't believe how they live. I can't believe the sin they are involved with." I've noticed that I've gone straight from being in the dirt with the rocks above my head, to dusting off my pants and grabbing the first stone.
I hear Christians making fun of the way people look. The way people come to church dressed. The way someone speaks, acts, or even the color of their skin. It's easy to take cheap shots at them, because we don't know them, and don't think they'll ever find out, or we won't ever get to know them. How can it hurt them if they don't hear what we are saying? I'm talking about ALL churches.
Maybe that's the issue. We don't know them. They need a Pastor too. They need a church too. They need someone to get to know them too. They need someone to show them the love of Jesus too. It's no wonder that I hear over and over "I tried church, but I wasn't welcomed." Or "I tried church and felt judged." Instead of someone walking into the church and being greeted with a hand of grace, they are walking in to rocks being held in hands and stuffed into pockets.
Is our gospel big enough to welcome everyone into our church? Are we big enough for politicians, celebrities, athletes, homeless, those addicted, those different? Are we big enough to say "Come on! This is your family! This is your home! We'll love you."
Even the physical posture of Christ displays the message of grace in these verses. Jesus' posture is down in the dirt, while the religious pompous, arrogant, leaders of the church stand straight in their arrogance with rocks in their hands. These postures even exemplify the attitude of an advocate and the attitude of an accuser. The leaders stand so tall and so proud, but the words of Jesus completely level the playing field. Jesus is saying "Oh pastor, oh bishop, doctor, lawyer, stay-at-home mom, garbage man,.......service tech. You're the same as this woman! You're no different."
We don't need anymore churches standing in their arrogance with rocks in their hands and filling their pockets. We need churches who are in the dirt with people that are broken and hurting and need the love of God. That has to be the church. We run towards the messes. We run towards the broken. We run towards the addicted, the depressed, the shamed. We don't turn away, we run towards them. We are there to hold them, to love them, and to defend them, to speak and think well of them. To believe the best in them. THAT'S the spirit of the church. What if every church grabbed a hold of this concept and carried with us the attitude of an advocate. The attitude of compassion, mercy, grace, and love to these hurting, lost and broken people.
At the end of this story, Jesus says "I don't bring any accusations. Now go, and sin no more."
Do you know why? Because she had just encountered grace, and faith had erupted in her heart. And now she could finally live the life she had only dreamed of. How many of us are hampering this same dream of others? How many churches are killing the faith, the dreams, and hopes of those searching in exactly the place they need to, but are being greeted by stones.
Grace is what sets us free from sin. Grace is what keeps us from the stones. Not law, not legalism, not customs, not traditions, not do's and don'ts, but the grace of God. Without it, this would be one empty world with a ton of bloody stones.
Church, put down your rocks, and instead hold open your hand. Get in the dirt. We can only be an advocate or an accuser when those doors open to knew seekers of Christ. Christ got down in the dirt for me, he grabbed my hand, dusted me off, and said "Go and sin no more."
He didn't dust me off just so I could become one of those that were ready to destroy me for my sin. We are no better than anyone else.
Drop the rock, church.
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