Rock Throwers

“He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” John 8:7

When I was in 7th Grade, my friend Billy Hayes and I were playing “baseball” in between classes at Bay Minette Junior High in southern Alabama. We used a tree limb for a bat and a pine cone for a baseball. Billy was doing pretty well hitting the pine cone that I was tossing, so I had a great idea—or so I thought. I found a nice, round rock about the size of a golf ball and I hurled it at Billy like a Roger Clemens fast ball. The rock was high and inside and hit Billy between the eyes! Immediately, a huge goose egg appeared on Billy’s forehead and I felt terrible. I never will forget Billy rolling around on the ground, holding his head in his hands, and yelling in pain. 

Let’s be honest with each other. During some point in our lives we have all thrown rocks at people. Maybe not the kind of rock I hit Billy with, but we all have thrown other kinds of rocks. How do I know this? Because we are all sinners, Amen? Perhaps we’ve thrown the “rock of verbal abuse” at our wife or kids. Maybe we’ve thrown the “rocks of bitterness and unforgiveness” at someone who hurt us physically or emotionally. Or maybe we’ve divided a church by hurling the “rock of gossip”. Some of us have thrown the “rock of ridicule” because someone doesn’t believe in the non-essentials (i.e. color of carpet or type of worship music) like we do. 

My prayer is that we can all lay down our “rocks”, whatever they may be, and instead focus on the Rock of Ages, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the only One who has the right to throw a rock at anybody because He is the only One who is sinless. And someday soon He is coming back as the Righteous Judge who will hurl “rocks of judgment” at those who have not trusted Him as their Lord and Savior. If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, repent of your sins and ask Him into your heart right now—none of us is guaranteed another breath in this life. Jesus will change your eternal address from hell to Heaven and your life will never be the same—I promise you! God bless you.