Throwing stones
By mattsmallbone. Filed in Australia |Tags: Jennifer Knapp, throwing stones
Yesterday’s blog about Jennifer Knapp stirred the hornets’ nest a bit. Some people misread the blog and thought that it was about homosexuality. It really wasn’t.
Yesterday’s blog was simply about how Christians (in particular… Christian bloggers) should respond to sinners. The question I was tackling was: “Are Christian bloggers right to condemn”?
I grabbed the important things from John 8:1-11. Check this out:
John 8
The Adulterous Woman
1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them.
3The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court,
4they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act.
5“Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?”
6They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground.
7But 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.”
8Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9When they heard it, they began to go out 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.
10Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?”
11She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either Go From now on sin no more.”
When I jumped online yesterday, I read a lot of horrible/ hateful things directed at Jennifer Knapp. I personally felt sickened. Don’t misunderstand me, sin is all bad… all of the time. I understand sin very well. It is my nature to sin.
However, when addressing a room full of people who wanted to condemn a woman caught in sexual sin, Jesus did say:
He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.
And no-one threw even a pebble.
And that IS a big deal…
Love
smalls
Friday, April 16th 2010 at 10:24 am |
I just read both blogs and understood your angle, no homosexuality story there.
All I will say is next time you’re in San Francisco, go to the ‘Glide Memorial Church’ service (the church in the Will Smith movie ‘The Pursuit of Happiness’). It’s the church that welcomes it’s doors to anyone.
I know a few past Christians that became attracted to the same sex and lost their faith purely due to how ‘Christians’ perceived them. I’ll be sending them a link to this blog as it’s spot Matt.
Friday, April 16th 2010 at 10:49 am |
So lets say that I agree with you on not judging or condemning others. Truth is, that we will all be judged by the same measure we judge others, so you are right in calling us to a high measure of grace.
So lets ask this question.
A man in a slave. He has been a slave his whole life and then the emancipation proclamation comes declaring all salves free. All across the nation, the slaves are free to create their own lives not subject to the oppression of the years gone by.
This slave, takes his freedom, spends a few years making a living for himself but life gets hard. So he goes to the national press and makes statements like this.
“Everyone around me made it absolutely clear that this is not an option for me, to not go back to slavery, and for me to choose to do so would be a denial of my faith.
The Bible has literally saved my life. I find myself between a rock and a hard place — between the conservative evangelical who uses what most people refer to as the ‘clobber verses’ to refer to this slavery as an abomination, while they’re eating shellfish and wearing clothes of five different fabrics, and various other Scriptures we could argue about.
I’m not capable of getting into the theological argument as to whether or not we should or shouldn’t allow slavery within our church. There’s a spirit that overrides that for me, and (that is) what I’ve been gravitating to in Christ and why I became a Christian in the first place.”
Now the poor man has convinced himself that he is more free in slavery than in freedom. And now he is telling everyone. Young black men all over the country are listening and thinking, man, maybe slavery isn’t so bad, after all, sin is sin. Slavery is no different than me slipping up and cussing. And think of all the benefits of slavery…
So we all sit by and instead of making a stand for what we know is right and condemning an unrighteous lifestyle, we get into philosophical arguments.
Is slavery wrong? Should we allow those who say slavery is a perfectly acceptable lifestyle choice to have the final word? Do I love those in slavery? Absolutely, but when they go to the press and start saying how its just a choice they made, knowing that their opinion is influential in the hearts and minds of young people who are struggling with the same issue, you bet I’m going to be the first to stand up and condemn slavery as hateful to God.
Many godly men suffered slavery to exist because a lack of courage to stand against it. Am I picking up a stone when I do?
How do we respond to those who approve a lifestyle of sin?
all my love to you my matt!!!
Friday, April 16th 2010 at 10:52 am |
Interesting angle Ben. These are deep waters bro. I guess we are trying to define what constitutes a rock?
Friday, April 16th 2010 at 11:12 am |
I agree with you Matt… but reading 1 Corinthians 5 there seems to be a higher moral bar/expectations for those who profess to have accepted Christ. I’m not sure if the adulterous women professed to know Christ…. nor for that matter any of the scribes and pharisees but it does seem like we’ve accepted a lot of ‘sin’ in the church and not called it for what it is…. and maybe the bride is far from ready? I’ve just been mulling over these scriptures and this scenario brought it to mind…
9 When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. 10 But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. 11 I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer[j] yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.
12 It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. 13 God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”[k] NLT
Its kinda of full on and I myself have been wondering how that relates to my life and my world. We are all atrociously sinful people thankfully saved by grace are saved.
Philippians 2:12-13
12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
Anyway thats my $0.02 worth…
Friday, April 16th 2010 at 11:26 am |
could be…
Actually I do think Jesus threw a rock. It was himself, “And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.” Matt. 21.44
This is the place that “Lovingkindness and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” Psa. 85.10
Let us throw ourselves on the rock, better than being crushed. Lovingkindess and truth, Righteousness and peace. One cannot be without the other.
what do you think constitutes a rock?
Friday, April 16th 2010 at 11:31 am |
Hmmm…. I guess that this is where physics and existential reasoning collide.
It would seem that you are suggesting that a human in motion towards ‘the rock’ is always a great thing. I can see that. Rocks leaving the hands of the same human= not so good.
Saturday, April 17th 2010 at 4:16 am |
Seems to me like people are taking this to a way deeper place than is necessary.
When it comes to ‘Christian’ bloggers spewing hate maybe the lesson is as simple as, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”
Tuesday, April 20th 2010 at 2:11 am |
These things I know to be true.
All people are of sacred worth (made by God, good by God).
All people live in a world where the present reality is distorted and disfigured.
Yet still, all people are loved by God (even in our brokenness and pain)…
…and people who protest the loudest against broken people like JK are often just hiding deeper sin in their own lives.
God is big enough to work with us in brokenness, live in us in brokenness, discipline us in our brokenness, and change us in his good timing – redeeming the brokenness for ‘all things new’.
And the thing I don’t get is this. We look at other people/christians, and we DEMAND they CHANGE and CHANGE IMMEDIATELY!! Since when did we all become the Holy Spirit?? In the words of an old TV commercial in Australia for shampoo… it won’t happen overnight, but it will happen!! Healing – restoration – forgiveness – it all doesn’t happen overnight, but in God’s good timing, it will happen.
I praise God that JK is brave enough to confront her life publically. And I pray that the Holy Spirit continues to – as the HS needs to do with ALL of us – lead her on to what Wesley (as in John) would call ‘christian perfection’ – or sanctifying grace. Daily changing a little more into the person we were created to be in the first place.
[prayer] God.. in your mercy, I pray for JK. A woman who is struggling, hurting and bruised by the very people who are called to love her. May the deep abiding presence of your Holy Spirit guide her, renew her, and refresh her – in your holy timing. Amen.
Tuesday, April 20th 2010 at 6:53 pm |
Just in regards to some thoughts raised by the comment by Joy Argew – I think one of the big problems I have is when people pick out homosexuality as some kind of ‘special sin’. It’s like a red flag to a bull. But from the verses you’ve quoted (verse 11 in particular)Joy it is clear to me that God has always regarded sin as sin – and I don’t hear a lot of uproar (comparatively) about greed, abuse (in all it’s forms, idolatry etc. I’d be thrown out of the church pretty quick if I was called on some of these sins. Are we prepared to have the truth spoken ‘in love’ to us? And isn’t there a difference between speaking out against sin and aiming rocks at specific individuals? I think the most important thing to remember is that God is Love. I’m no theologian, and so I’m probably quoting out of place, but I keep thinking of 1 Corinthians 12:31a – 1Cor 13:13
“And now I will show you the most excellent way.
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I posses to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perserveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
When I was a child, I talked like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. BUT THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE.”
Lord, help me to love others, as you have loved me. I look forward to the day when I will know fully all that you need me to know.
Monday, April 26th 2010 at 3:29 am |
Hi there may I use some of the information found in this post if I link back to you?
Monday, April 26th 2010 at 7:33 am |
sure