Stones, pebbles, and sin.

Now very early in the morning, he came again into the temple, and all the people came to him. He sat down, and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman taken in adultery. Having set her in the midst, they told him, "Teacher, we found this woman in adultery, in the very act. Now in our law, Moses commanded us to stone such. What then do you say about her?"
They said this testing him, that they might have something to accuse him of. But Jesus stooped down, and wrote on the ground with his finger.  But when they continued asking him, he looked up and said to them,
"He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her."
Again he stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground.  They, when they heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning from the oldest, even to the last. Jesus was left alone with the woman where she was, in the middle. Jesus, standing up, saw her and said, "Woman, where are your accusers? Did no one condemn you?"
She said, "No one, Lord." Jesus said,
"Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, sin no more." - John 8:1-30.

It is drawing closer to Easter. Today, I went to an Ash Wednesday service. As part of the service, we all had to choose a stone. That stone represented a sin that we still have in our lives, one that at this point of time we really feel we need to deal with. We didn't tell others what that stone represented, but we all had turns ditching our particular stone into water and seeing it sink to the bottom. While we did this, silently and in prayer, we asked Jesus to forgive us and to release us from that sin.

The service was a very moving one. For some reason, that stone that I had in my hand reminded me of the above bible verse. It also reminded me of God's love, and how much Jesus gave up and suffered for me ... for me!

When I released that stone, I felt, ... as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. -Psalm 103:12.

My particular sin while casting my pebble into the water, wasn't adultery, but never the less still sin. The sin that my stone represented was anger and resentment, not in the form of yelling at people or abusing them, but a subtle, bubbling anger. One that brews quietly on the inside without most people knowing ... but robs you of inner joy. This anger dwells under the name of "justice", which is alright as long as it remains righteous anger. But as we know, any anger that is not dealt with in a constructive way will turn into a problem. 

I, at times, get very angry about what goes on in the world ... moral decline in our society, the lack of justice, racism, lack of care for the environment, the way people treat each other, selfishness, disrespect, etc. I get angry, then resentful, then bitter about injustices done to myself, others and within society.  I struggle with idealism of what the world should be like, even though I know we live in a fallen world. Sometimes, I even get angry at God for the stuff that happens in the world.

The above emotions are not healthy if carried for long periods of time. Where there is anger, resentment or bitterness, there is no forgiveness. Compassion can start to flounder and you find yourself being hardened. This hardness of heart is the human way of dealing with and protecting self from being further hurt or disappointed. Ironically, you start to take on some of the characteristics of what you are casting the stone at. You become, no better than what you disagree with or dislike. 

This condition - "hardness of heart",  inflicts me, every once in a while. Even in it's slightest form, it makes me want to be in charge instead of letting God be control.

Then God has his way with me, and the Holy Spirit touches my inner most being. Healing begins, causing that hardened exterior to fall to the ground like shattered glass. Next ... Jesus melts all those negative, destructive feelings with his love ... and I have peace.

The symbolic gesture of the sinking of pebbles at church, plus the true account of what Jesus said to the Pharisees when they wanted to brutally stone the adulterous woman, are milestones in our growth as Christians. This doesn't mean that sin is overlooked and accepted, but gives us guidance on how to deal with sin. Jesus forgave the woman and then said, "sin no more". We forgive others but do not condone sin.

Forgiving others is part of the key in freeing ourselves and learning to live in God's grace.

Matthew 18:21-22: Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"

Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."

Jenteelability.   http://devotionalchristiancafe.blogspot.com