“The First To Throw A Stone”

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

John 8:1-11

When Jesus was faced with dealing with a woman who had been accused of being an adulteress, He scribbled something in the sand and then He told those in attendance that those who were without sin should cast the first stone. And then He bent down and wrote something else. They all left. So, what did Jesus write in the sand?

Maybe he wrote the words, straight from God, and then said the words. He spoke few words, but His point was made.

Jesus had a closeness to and dependence on His Father that He only spoke what He knew He was supposed to say.

Do we take such care in our day to day activities? Are we swift to hear and slow to speak?

We are often told to stop and think before we speak. But we should take that further and live a life where we are always listening for God’s wisdom.

Listen to God before you speak for God.

Our Daily Bread – August 28, 2010