7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her."
8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground.
9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.
10 Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
11 She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."
This semester I am in New Testament class, and we are currently reading through the book of John.
In the book of John one of my favorite stories is the woman accused of adultery.
So as I was reading through it tonight I get to the part I put above and I realized something I never noticed before and it amazed me.
Jesus told these men "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her."
As I read these deeply profound words it hits me, Jesus had every right to throw the first stone. He is and was without sin. He also knew this woman's heart completely which means He knew about far more than her committed adultery. But Jesus whose mercy is so encompassing it almost seems unjust does not even touch a stone. Quite the opposite as a matter of fact. Instead of covering her in the condemnation she had earned, He lavished upon her the salvation He was about to buy.
He could have cast the first stone at us, but instead He lavishes grace upon us.
What an undeserved mercy.
Because I too am a woman surrounded by accusers poised to pummel me with stones. But Jesus stands beside me and tells my accusers if they are any less sinful they can hit me, and they walk away. He looks at me perfect and completely able to not only beat me but damn me, and tells me to sin no more and totally cleanses me.
That is what I call amazing grace.
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