But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." (John 8:7, NASB)
For all Christians, this verse is one of the more recognizable ones of the Bible, probably topped only by John 3:16. This is one of those verses that seems perfectly packaged to spread across social media when you feel the need to justify some of your actions. However, the way this verse is normally used actually rips it straight out of context and sends a message the author never intended.
So what is the immediate, surrounding context of this verse? In this passage from John, the religious leaders have brought before Jesus a woman who was caught in the very act of adultery. These leaders assert this woman should be stoned according to the Mosaic Law, and they move to do just that. Jesus halts them, writes an unknown something in the sand, and tells the leaders that any of them who have never committed a sin (read: broken the Law) could be the first to throw a stone at the woman.
After the chastened religious leaders have fled the scene, Jesus then speaks to the accused woman: Straightening up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more." (John 8:10-11, NASB)
So the religious leaders desired for the lawbreaker to be punished according to the Law, but Jesus intervenes and saves her from the death due for her sin. Sound familiar? Hold that thought.
When you see this verse sprinkled throughout social media with fancy fonts on pretty backgrounds, what is the message it typically conveys? It's this: Don't cast stones at me for my mistakes because you're not perfect either. By citing this verse, I get a free pass for any of my actions and words because, guess what? You've sinned as well, so you can't criticize me!
That's exactly what this verse is saying, right? Wrong, wrong, and wrong.
Let's take a deeper look into this passage full of wonderful truth. The single element most Christians can rightly identify about this verse is that the stones represent the Law. The woman has committed adultery, and the penalty for that sin is stoning (in effect, death).
The problem occurs when a person goes from that idea and reads themselves into the passage and Jesus' words, instead of letting Scripture speak for itself. For example, a reader who takes this verse out of context can easily allegorize it, turning the religious leaders into symbols of legalistic Christians and the woman into a symbol of himself or herself.
There's a problem with this method of interpretation: the Bible is about Christ, not about the human reader.
Returning to my earlier point, this passage is about the grace of Jesus Christ and how His work on the cross is sufficient to cover every past, present, and future sin of every person who places faith in Him.
We can see here that the Law (death by stoning as penalty for adultery) condemned the woman. What she needed at that moment was a pardon for her sin. Who was there to provide it? Jesus Christ, God incarnate, the Savior, whose future death on the cross covered her sin even at that point in time.
The Law exists to highlight our desperate need for a Savior. When someone "casts a stone" at us, we are being condemned by the Law.
Someone "casting a stone" at me for my actions (condemning me for breaking the Law) revealed my need for salvation. I have now been redeemed by Christ's death on the cross through the supernatural working of the Holy Spirit in regenerating my soul. Casting stones can indeed have a very positive effect thanks to the almighty Savior.
And here's a tiny freebie to go along with all of this other great stuff:
Do you remember the end of this story? "From now on sin no more." (John 8:11)
Once you have been redeemed and saved from the penalty of the Law, sanctification follows. Obedience reveals a heart that truly belongs to Christ.
Now, go and sin no more.
