Throwing Rocks

D oris Kearns Goodwin in her book, “Team of Rivals – The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln” (2005), tells the story of President Lincoln and his team of rivals (political and military men who believed Lincoln was the wrong man to be President) who were members of Lincoln’s cabinet.

Regardless of whatever team you may be a part of, one can expect rocks to be thrown, especially if the individual or team enjoys success. President Lincoln (indeed all Presidents have rocks thrown at them).

Unfortunately, this is part of the price for success.

The rocks I refer to are the cutting words used against others. The words of doubt, ridicule, harshness, unforgiving and worse yet, words having no truth. Have you ever hurled a rock at someone out of frustration, jealousy, hatred, strife – perhaps you allowed others to do the dirty work of name calling, second guessing, instead of defending the one being attacked, you stood aside and did nothing while others spoke for you.

Were you handing the rocks to those who threw them?

Unfortunately, I am guilty of both acts.

When throwing rocks, we choose the sharpest, most dangerous for the purpose of inflicting the greatest of wounds. Sometimes, like David in the Bible, we choose the smoothest of rocks, easy to throw, slicing through the air of confusion, they inflict terrible trauma, create physical shock and pain but the lasting damage is always, always in the mind, heart, and emotions of the one targeted.

They were ready to stone her to death until Jesus stepped in to defend her.

The crowd, with rocks in hand were using this woman not for justice, not to right a wrong but to trap Jesus into speaking against the law, finding some offense to arrest Jesus, and humiliate the woman.

We read “The scribes and Pharisees” (religious leaders in ancient Israel) “brought a woman caught in adultery and having set her in the center of the court, they said to Jesus, Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say? But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. 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 8:3-7).

“When they heard it, they began to leave one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. 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 8:9-11).

Ready to throw rocks the woman’s accusers were convicted by their own conscious when they heard the words of Jesus. The first to drop their rocks and their offense were the older ones, the younger ones followed their elders, not knowing the reasons why they walked away. What convicted the accusers so terribly, so convincingly that they dropped their rocks and turned away?

Like us, they were human, guilty of the same sin they caught her in the act of, or worse. This is why we throw rocks at others – we easily see our own guilt in others.

It is human nature to avoid our internal conflicts, consequently, we deal with our frustrations, fears and being offended by throwing verbal rocks at those we see as successful, a threat or are a reminder of our failures.

It is simple human nature to bring others down to our level of misery, shame, and frustration.

Are you throwing rocks?

Here are a few verses to help you change your life and the lives of others.

“Whoever sows injustice reaps calamity, and the rod they wield in fury will be broken” (Proverbs 22:8).

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:7-8).

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6).

We do not have to throw rocks at each other, if we remember these verses, the rocks will soon become words of forgiveness, then acceptance, then friendship, then encouragement, a life worth living.

What are you throwing at others?

Clayton P. Adams, West Memphis, AR email: claytonpadamslll @gmail.com.

Clayton Adams

Time in the Word