When Worlds Collide

THE REDEMPTION OF COMMUNITY 

John 8:1–11 recounts the story of the woman caught in the act of adultery. We all know it. Her accusers bring her to Jesus as another opportunity to entrap Him on whether He agrees with what Jewish law said should happen to women in these cases. 

I can only imagine the smugness with which they asked Jesus that question. With stones in hand, they were salivating to become her judge, jury, and executioner. 

We often use the story as an illustration to not judge people, which is one principle to take away from this. But, I think there’s another greater lesson to this story we often miss: This is more about redemption than it ever is about judgment. 

I really believe what happened was this—that Jesus revealed to those men in their hearts that they were the women, and the woman was the one with the stone in her hand! As such, their only response was to drop their stones and walk away. No one is left to accuse her. Jesus’ response is refreshing: “Neither will I.” 

Jesus helped the woman understand that He is ultimately all about redemption. He first loves on her, rids her of guilt, and then and only then asks her to repent—to sin no more. Anyone who sees and feels that love will want to follow Jesus and sin no more. Now, that is redemption. 

Juxtapose that spirit against our current world of online accusers, just like the religious leaders with stones in their hands. The Internet has become a breeding ground for creating those who would be judge, jury, and executioner. 

Less we think this a stretch, how often do we find verbal stones in our hands when responding to social media issues we dislike. Just read the comments to blogs, posts, and tweets. The self-righteous are all over the Internet, abounding with judgments galore.

Now, the reason that the Bible says we should not judge is because judgment is solely in the purview of God. So when we feel compelled to judge others, we are assuming something that is not ours to assume. The Internet has become the playground of those who want to usurp the role of God in the lives of others. 

It’s almost impossible to act like this in true community because the very act of intersection—that of direct, personal involvement in someone else’s life—where you have access of understanding, compassion, and revelation of that person’s character, inhibits the opportunity and desire to walk around with a stone to throw at someone you don’t like or who thinks differently than you. 

True community will embrace the fallen and shame the self-righteous into letting go of their stones. True community will shed tears for sinners and the broken rather than accusing them from afar. True community will lead people to the cross, not away from it with their hard hearts. True community will offer redemption, not judgment. 

Today, Jesus asks us to drop our stones and unfriend the spirit of accusation rampant on the Internet. He asks us to offer redemption to a world dying to hear those words: “Neither do I.”