It is far easier to tear someone down than to build someone up. And too often, we even justify tearing someone down because we see their behavior as wrong or insulting to us personally.
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But we all know this doesn’t make it right.
In John Chapter 8, the religious leaders of the day devised a plan to trip up Jesus and undermine His ministry. Why? Because Jesus was threatening their way of life.
Jesus’ teaching exposed the hypocrisy of the religious leaders. They considered His teaching as an attack against their identity, their career, their livelihood, and their power.
So the religious leaders devised a plan to make Jesus pick between extending grace or fulfilling the Law.
3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. (John 8:3-6)
The religious leaders thought they had won! If Jesus sided with the Law, this woman would be killed on the spot. If Jesus picked forgiveness, Jesus would be guilty of breaking the Law.
Obviously, Jesus didn’t fall for the trick.
7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7)
The men began to leave one at a time, oldest first, until the youngest man finally left.
Only the woman and Jesus were left. Jesus gave her an option.
10“Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”(John 8:10-11)
He gave her the option of repenting from her sin and accepting forgiveness or continuing the empty pursuit of sin.
This woman, who was used by the religious leaders as an object lesson, was extended the opportunity to repent.
Most of us (I hope all of us, actually) wouldn’t actually throw a stone at someone in an attempt to kill them. But we drop “stones” in the form of comments and jokes that are meant to tear down. These “stones” sit on others’ shoulders, weighing them down.
As Christians, we shouldn’t be like the religious leaders in these verses. We shouldn’t use others’ sins or circumstances to make ourselves feel better.
Instead, we should be like Jesus. We should give others the opportunity to meet Jesus, repent, and walk faithfully with Him.
