She sits in the pew crying. The message from the eighth chapter of John was so compelling. She knew this was the moment that she would surrender everything to the Lord. She slowly stood up and made her way forward. The stares from all the “perfect” people made her so nervous and uncomfortable. As she walked toward the altar she remembered how many times she wanted to make this journey but sat frozen in fear because Sunday after Sunday the pastor stood before his congregation, alone, silently praying for the souls of those who came to church that day but never came forward. Time after time she thought to herself, “I can’t be the only one. Can I? Does everyone here have it all together but me?” But this day was different. This day she had a sense of urgency and boldness that propelled her forward. She knew that she had been caught in sin by the One who sees everything and the only One who could forgive her.

Can you imagine how the woman “caught in the very act of adultery” in John chapter eight must have felt that day? She was ripped out of bed, dragged before Jesus, thrown down at his feet, and waiting to be stoned in front of the entire community. This woman was completely exposed and so was her sin.

Each of her accusers had one or more stones in hand ready to pelt her unto death. Our youngest son zinged me with a rock to the shin one day. Once the shock of the hit wore off I fell to the ground grabbing my leg and I cried like a baby. Not fun. I could not possibly imagine being hit all over my body by rocks flung by grown men before they finally gave way to “mercy” and moved up to my head to finish the job. She must have been in a great amount of fear.

In the midst of all this, Jesus bends down to write in the sand. What he writes no one knows but, apparently, the fact that he did was important enough to have the event forever etched in Scripture. That must have freaked the accusers out. After all, when I go to our oldest son’s baseball games and I see him on the field bent down playing in the dirt; I get the feeling that he is totally oblivious to what is going on around him. Perhaps Jesus was writing their names or their hidden sins in the dirt, or maybe he was just playing tic-tac-toe with himself.

My best guess is that he was doodling while he was kneeling to pray to the Father about how best to handle this very delicate situation. You see, the woman wasn’t the real target that day. Jesus was. The accusers wanted to see how Jesus would judge this woman. Instead, he asked that the “sinless one among you” be the judge. They all dropped their stones and walked away.

Now, I know most of you have heard this story told in sermons many times but this is my take on it.

The enemy of our soul, the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10), has a bunch of stones in his hands. (He is so full of pride that he doesn’t even recognize that he is not without sin). Satan does not throw the igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic kinds either but ones of much more painful consequences. He throws modern-day stones.

The enemy’s the modern-day stones are pride, greed, jealousy, hatred, judgment, self-pity, depression, drug abuse, alcoholism, gossip, slander, adultery, envy, unforgiveness, loneliness, grief, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, sickness, and many, many more.

How does he throw them? He uses everyday folks like you and me – Christian or otherwise – to throw these very powerful stones. They come from a mighty weapon that can actually create life or death. (Proverbs 18:21) It is so small that it fits in a person’s mouth and is used more frequently than any other weapon on earth. It is the tongue. (James Chapter 3:1-10)

Back to the woman walking towards the altar to surrender her life to Jesus. She is much like the woman caught in adultery except rather than being forced before Jesus she is choosing to go before Jesus. She too has her accusers ready to throw stones as she walks the isle to freedom. “How could she? Who does she think she is? I heard she….She’ll never…”

Jesus set the perfect kingdom example of grace and it is the only way we should follow. When he asked, “Woman, where are your accusers? Is there no one here to condemn you?” She answers, “No Lord.” And Jesus says, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” That is the picture of heaven for Christians on judgment day right there! Hallelujah!

I have chills right now and my eyes are tearing up with joy! This is awesome! Can you grasp how exciting this is? It is so simple and so plain!

When we are covered by his blood and in his presence we are not condemned and we have no sin! Come on!! That’s awesome news!

The world is watching us just as the accusers that day were watching Jesus. How shall we respond? I pray with the same grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Now, drop those modern-day stones.