STONE-FREE HANDS
Kendra Intihar
Today's Scripture: “Jesus stood up and said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.'" John 8:10-11, ESV
Theme: Jesus was faced with a specific sin and a call for judgement, yet He also recognized a person made in the image of the Creator. Choose to rescue and redeem from sin rather than condemn and throw stones at a person.
WRITTEN IN THE DUST
Jeremiah said, “Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water” (Jeremiah 17:13, NIV).
When the Pharisees and teachers of the law approached Jesus with a woman caught in the sin of adultery, they didn’t anticipate the way the Jesus would turn their self-righteousness into a lesson on mercy. They thought they had Him cornered—if He didn’t condemn the woman to death, He would be breaking the law of Moses. The religious leaders had turned away from God’s redemptive story, but Jesus, seeing the full picture of God’s plan for restoration, stood as their reminder of God’s never-ending mercy (see Psalm 103:8).
As the teachers stood with stones at the ready, Jesus knelt and began to write in the dust. When He stood up, He defied whoever among them was without sin to cast the first stone at the woman, and then He stooped again to continue writing. One by one, the Pharisees and teachers of the law dropped their stones and walked away.
WHERE DOES JESUS STAND?
“Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” He asked.
“No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Jesus stood with the sinner. He stood with the woman being judged. He stood against the men who believed they had the right to judge and condemn this woman. The religious leaders believed they were exercising right judgment against the woman based on their deep study of the laws that pertained to adultery. But Jesus wasn’t interested in their right judgment, despite their ability to justify it in Scripture. Rather than simply “upholding” the law, He fulfilled it. The redemptive narrative arc in the Bible is this: God shows up for His people over and over again, loving them through their failures, and rescuing them from their sin.
The woman’s encounter with Jesus that day was an invitation into a new life—a life of restoration and grace. Instead of condemning the woman as the religious leaders would’ve had Him do, Jesus invited her into the fullness of life He offers where her sin no longer grips or defines her. In doing so, He taught them that their condemnation was neither helpful nor necessary; it is His grace alone that rescues sinners.
INVITATION TO FREEDOM
Jesus’ love isn’t a passive acceptance of our brokenness, but an active invitation to be free from it. I used to interpret, “Go and sin no more,” as a threat. Something akin to “Go and sin no more… or else.” But as I’ve grown in my faith, I’ve realized that “Go and sin no more” is not a warning or a threat—it's an invitation to the freedom found in His presence. It’s an invitation to a relationship with Jesus, where we can truly and finally see that His singular posture toward us is love.
When we read Scripture, it’s tempting to drop ourselves into the narrative as the hero… in this case, Jesus. Instead, we ought to see the Lord as the hero of the story and ourselves and others as the sinners in need of His correction and redemption.
Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world, but to save it (John 3:17). This is the heart of the Good News, isn’t it? We are loved and forgiven despite our sin, called out of our sin, and called to extend the same love and mercy to others that has been given to us. It’s our job to love, with hands free from stones, allowing Jesus to do the redemptive work of drawing people into a relationship with Him.
Make It Personal: What if we—even as begrudgingly as the Pharisees—dropped our stones and chose grace and mercy for those ensnared by sin? Imagine a world where we didn’t judge others for their failures, shortcomings, and choices, but instead walked alongside them, offering compassion and hope.
Pray: Lord, thank You for Your endless mercy and grace. Help me to be more like You—quick to offer love, quick to offer forgiveness, and slow to judge. Let my life and my attitude toward others reflect the infinite compassion You have shown me. Amen.
Read: James 2:12-13; Romans 2:1-4; Matthew 9:10-13
Weekly Memory Verse: “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” Galatians 6:1, ESV