Put Down Your Stones

She was caught red-handed.  She was (possibly literally) naked in her shame.  She was exposed for all of the town to see.  Her secrets were no longer secrets.  Adulteress.  Fornicator.  Wounded.  Hurt.  Exposed.

She stood (or crouched down) accused.  Condemned.  Sentenced to death by the Pharisees.  They stood at the ready with their stones to take her life as the law commanded.  However, instead of just stoning her, they asked Jesus a question to test him.  His response?  Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

Stones fell.  One-by-one the men dropped their stones and went away.  The woman stood in front of only Jesus as he looked up at her.

Where are they?  Has no one accused you?
No one, Lord.
Neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more.

(Storied-- John 7:53 - 8:11 **Note:  There is considerable doubt that this story is part of John's original Gospel since it is absent from all of the oldest manuscripts.  But there is nothing in it unworthy of sound doctrine.  It sees best to view the story as something that probably happened during Jesus' ministry but that was not originally part of what John wrote in his Gospel.  Therefore it should not be considered as part of Scripture and should not be used as the basis for building any pint of doctrine unless confirmed in Scripture. -- ESV Study Bible footnote)

GRACE UPON GRACE.

According to the law, this girl was dead.  She should have been dead.  Maybe, she wanted to be dead.  However, Jesus, as He did repeatedly throughout His ministry, showed grace.  This lady had done nothing to earn his favor.  She had broken the law.  She deserved death, according to the OT Law, and according to what we now know as Romans 6:23.

On the contrary, Jesus gave her the radical gift of grace.  One of my favorite things about this story is the redemption found in Jesus' last statement.

Neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more.

Romans 8:1; Freedom.  Not freedom to sin (go and sin no more), but freedom to live.  Freedom to walk in grace.  Freedom to walk in Christ's imputed righteousness onto all who trust Jesus as their Savior.

"It's not obedience that brings freedom; it's freedom that brings obedience." - Kasey Van Norman

I have been on both sides of this story.

I was the adulteress (not literally, but you know what I mean).  I deserved death.  I've looked Jesus in the eyes open and vulnerable exposed in my sin.  I've stared down a harsh and unforgiving society.  And, if I'm honest, there were moments where I wanted to face death instead of the consequences of my choices.  However, PRAISE JESUS!  I am the adulteress.  I've looked into the eyes of Jesus as He called off my accusers.  Neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more.  There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  I have tasted His sweet sufficient grace.  His power is made perfect in my weakness.  I have been redeemed.  I have been forgiven.  I have been set free.

I have also held stones.  Stones of bitterness, resentment, anger, accusal.  How could they have hurt me so?  How could this person have made so many choices that caused me pain?  They deserve every bit of my bitterness, every bit of my attitude, every bit of my anger.  I have heard Jesus' call-- Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.  However, unlike the Pharisees, I've held tight to my stone.  I will drop it when he/she apologizes.  I will drop it when I feel "called to."  I will drop it when... You see, the problem is... "when" was never going to come in my own strength.  I wasn't willing to let go.  Too much hurt.  Too much pain.  10 years.  That's a long time.  I wrestled with everything in me against forgiveness.  I would "drop the stone" (or say I did), yet pick the stone right back up at the next hurt or pain.  Ready, aiming, longing to cast it to retaliate the pain I felt inside.  You see, I held onto the stone because I had lost sight of my own plight.  I lived like I attained my own freedom.  I lived like I had never been the adulteress in need of grace.  I lived like I earned the radical grace given to me.  If the blood of Christ is sufficient to cover his/her transgressions against me and He can forgive this person, then who am I to cast a stone?  Who am I to hold a grudge?  Who am I to boldly proclaim that they must earn my forgiveness?  As I was reminded of the unmerited grace lavished upon me through Christ, I was overcome with the loosening of my grip on the stone.  With each reminder of His grace, His mercy, His faithfulness, the stone was loosened in my grip.  Until, finally, it fell.  And, as it fell, it shattered.  No longer to be picked back up and aimed.  What once was a gaping wound has been bandaged and is in the process of being healed.  I have forgiven.  I have been set free.

I think we all find ourselves in either of these roles at some point in our lives.  The most important thing to remember is that Christ is at the center of it all.  HIS Grace is sufficient.  It's by HIS grace that we are forgiven and set free.  It's in His strength that we find the strength to forgive.  It's by His power, His love.  It's by HIS wounds that we are healed.  It is by His life, His death, His resurrection that we are set free.

Walk in that freedom.  Let Christ set you free from the bondage of shame and unforgiveness.  He's a chain breaker.

- Kayla

A 10-Year Reflection Letter

Dear 16-year-old me,

It's been a while-- ten years to be exact.

Let me start by saying, you are beautiful-- not because a magazine, a boy, a friend, or even your mama says so.  No, my darling, you are beautiful because you were created by a Maker that knows you intimately.  He fashioned you from the tiniest strand of DNA to look like you do, talk like you do, and to be uniquely you.  Turn off the tv.  Put down the magazines.  That's not who you were made to be.  You were created for so much more than that.  God created you with unique talents and abilities that you can use to make the world a better place.  Don't suppress them for fear of standing out or being labeled as weird or different.  As you try to fit this impossible mold that the world has given you, you are missing out on the beautiful life that God has for you if you'd only trust Him over what the magazines or tv are telling you to become. You were made for more.

You, precious one, are loved beyond all imagination--  not because of anything that you have done to earn this love, but because you have a Good Father.  This is such a hard concept for you to grasp, I know. You have a desire to earn love.  You work so hard to maintain good grades, be the best at anything that you attempt, and to be noticed in hopes of earning love.  You try so hard to quietly please anyone and everyone around you in hopes that they will love you more or stay home more or lay aside painful habits.  You sit silently in the room, all the while screaming to be noticed by anyone, longing for love and affection in the way that you understand it best.  You feel as if no one understands.  But, sweet one, be assured, there is One who always understands.  You are trying so hard to earn His love that you have completely missed the fact that you can't earn His love.  He.  Loves.  You.  Period.  This solid truth has been, since before you were born, is, even though you're 16 and awkward, and always will be, to 26 and long beyond.  You were created by a Father that loves you with every fiber of His being.  He is calling you tenderly to Him.  You've seen Him move in the lives of those all around you.  You've learned the words to say, when to raise your hands, and what to do to appear like you know Him and love Him.  You know the Roman Road by heart and even how to witness (26 y.o. Kayla interjection-- that's a super scary thought.).  You've convinced yourself and those around you that you were saved during "one of those Wednesdays" in youth group.  You had to have been.  Surely, you weren't living a lie.  Yet, internally, you know that you have know idea who this Jesus really is or the life-transforming work that He can do.  Just wait, little one, life has a lot of curveballs coming your way, but, take heart, you will survive, and, at 24, you will finally look up and notice and take hold of the hand of Christ reaching down into the pit to rescue you-- and your life will never be the same.

Truth-- your life has not been filled with roses and daisies.  You've never gone without anything material that you needed-- food, water, shelter, etc.  However, emotionally, you have had a tough road to be 16.  Circumstances have forced you to grow up fast, and I know that there have been many times that you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders.  However, my love, let me assure you, the weight of the world was never on your shoulders-- you are not that important.  The true weight of the world was on the shoulders of a man in Jerusalem 2000 years ago as He bore the sins of the world to pay the wages of sin and reconcile us to the Father.  That's the weight of the world.  You can fall.  You can have a bad day.  You can fail a test.  It's not going to cause the world to topple.  Wake up call:  You are not the center of the universe.

When life does fall completely apart, you will realize that the ones you have pushed away are the ones that you needed the most.  Those friends reaching out for reconciliation?  Listen to them.  The friends that want to tear through your walls of self-protection and love you for who you are?  Let them.

Life will not be easy.  You will fall.  You will fail.  However, ten years later, I can tell you with full confidence, that the Lord is faithful.  He will see you through.  He will sustain you even in the darkest times when it takes everything that you have to get out of bed and do life.  He has not lost control even for a second.  God is sovereign, and His will shall be done.  Rest in that.

Love,

From a little older, little wiser...

Kayla