Stones Thrown from Darkness Often Ricochet!

In the gospel of John, chapter eight and beginning in verse two through verse 12, we read the following: "Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery, And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, 'Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 'Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?' This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them 'He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first. And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, 'Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you? She said, 'No one Lord,' And Jesus said to her, Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.' Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, 'I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." (All Scriptures quoted from the New King James Version, unless noted otherwise)

Consider this topic with me: Stones thrown from darkness often ricochet.

Over the past several days, I've seen a lot in Search Engine news pages and received dozens of emails, often including links to blogs and other information about the so-called Tiger Woods controversy. I've read a few things--enough to realize that everything published seems to raise the following questions: "Did Tiger Woods commit adulery?" Will Elin, his wife, leave him? Will Tiger rebound from the effects of this controversy? The late night talk show hosts appear to be having a field day with this topic. To call coverage a media frenzy describes an understatement. The online edition of the US News & World Report asked readers to respond to the question--should Tiger Woods speakout?" Staff writer Tony Hicks with the Contra Costa Times alleged in an opt-ed article that Woods should " . . .do us all a favor and fess up."

Just remember, stones thrown from darkness often ricochet.

Officials at the Golf Channel suspended Kelly Tilghman for two weeks following an on air comment about young golfers "lynching Woods in a back alley." According to a spokesman in the Woods camp, Tilghman is one of Tiger's friends, and probably did not intend to condemn Woods. Tilghman is an anchor reporter with the Golf Channel.

On the other hand," . . . a Swedish golfer who once employed Tiger Woods' wife -- Elin Nordegren -- and even introduced her to Tiger, just blasted him after a round today, saying he hopes Elin uses a driver next time instead of a 3-iron. Jesper Parnevik employed both Elin and her twin sister as nannies in 2000, introducing Elin to Tiger the following year. Parnevik told a reporter he feels "especially sad since me and my wife were at fault for hooking her up with him." Parnevik says Tiger may have taken his Nike credo too far and that next time, "Maybe not just do it." (quoted verbatim from TMZ.com)

We can learn at least five instructive lessons about the Tiger Woods controversy from the incident that John reports on that occurred less than two weeks before the end of the three and a half year ministry of Jesus, the Christ. First, we learn that accusers seldom show any interest in the entire story of an incident, and certainly not the truth. They came to Jesus, alleging that the woman they brought in tow had been caught in the very act of adultery. Please understand that this confrontation occurred "early in the morning." So unless they caught them--the woman and the man-- just minutes earlier, they had held her in "custody" for some time. If they cared so much about keeping the law of Moses, why had they not stoned the woman and the man and moved on.Second, if she was "caught in the very act," where was the man?

In Deuteronomy 22, the law of Moses addressed this situation from the following perspectives:

An Israelite woman who claimed to be a virgin was to be stoned to death when evidence "uncovered" later proved that she committed adultery while living in her father's house. If the woman was married and living with her husband and was caught in adultery, the law authorized the community to execute both of them. Then if a young virgin, betrothed to a husband consorted with another man somewhere in the city where she lived, both were to be stoned if she did not cry out for help. If the sex act resulted from rape and she cried out for help, then only the man was to be stoned.

So the only legal way for the scribes and Pharisees to have shown up with a female, alleged to be an adulterer, and not bring the man, she would have had to have been posing as a virgin, though she had been sexually active "at her father's house."

Remember, though, they desired to trap Jesus so they could accuse Him of violating the Law of Moses. Jesus' response teaches the second lesson in this situation. Ignore false accusations, designed to trap you.

Then Jesus set a specific criterion to authorize stoning this woman when He said: "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." Now comes the third and most important lesson in the series of lessons taught in this incident. God requires anyone who condemns to be sinless and though Jesus qualified to throw a stone at this woman first, He did not because in John 3:17, we read: "God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." So Tiger, do not worry about confessing whatever sins you've committed to people, fans, endorsers, or anyone else, because only Jesus, who, though fully authorized to condemn you, will not condemn you. Elin, Jesus says to you: "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." (Mark 11:25-26)

Remember, both of you, when you throw stones from your personal darkness, they just might bounce back and hit you.

You see Elin, whatever you husband did, or even appeared to have done, tests whether you love him, or simply like him and what he can provide for you since, afterall, he is the world's number one golfer and probably the richest athlete. About love, God's word says: "love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy . . .[love] is not provoked, thinks no evil . . .

Tiger, I know you understand that certain vindictive people have targeted you for destruction. They cannot beat you at what God gifted you to do--play golf better than most, so they "shoot" at you in other ways. In many ways, you're like Samson whom the Philistines could not beat. Remember, his enemies trapped him through his uncontrolled desire for Philistine women. Ultimately, Sansom evened the score, but he lost his life in the process.

In the fourth lesson of this incident during the final days of Jesus' ministry, we see clearly that the Holy Spirit inspired the apostle John to describe this woman as "caught in adultery." I know that many preachers substitute "accused of adultery" when they preach from this text, but I checked three translations other than the New King James, with the following results:

The King James describes the woman as "taken in adultery." The New Living Translation says: " . . .they had caught in the act of adultery." The New International Version describes her as: "caught in adultery."

In his final comment to the woman, Jesus said: "Go and sin no more." Please note that Jesus did not require the woman to "fess up." in front of the crowd in the temple. Jesus did not inquire about her guilt or innocence. He already knew. But Jesus also knew something that most people miss in this situation. When Jesus asked this woman: "Woman where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you? The woman replied: "No one Lord . . ." Immediately, Jesus knew something significant that no one in that crowd in the Jerusalem temple realized and that most people today do not understand. She called Jesus, Lord. Later, in Paul's first epistle to the Church of God in Corinth, the Holy Spirit--the same Holy Spirit that described the woman to John as guilty of adultery--inspired this assertion: "Therefore, I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit." (1Cor. 12:3). Immediately, Jesus knew that the Father had worked in this incident (See Rom. 8:28) to draw this woman to Jesus that she might be one of the first to experience the power of forgiveness, even before He was crucified for the sins of the world.

Therefore, Tiger, God knows and His word is still, yes, even now: "Go and sin no more!" Elin, God's word to you is found first in Eph. 4:32: "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." Then in Col. 3:13, we read: " . . . bearing with one another, and forgiving one another. If anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do."

Thus, in the last lesson of this incident during the final days of the ministry of Jesus, the Christ, the Anointed of God said: "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." In other words Tiger and Elin, follow Jesus and walk boldly and courageously in the light of His hope, faith and love.

In closing, consider these instructions from the apostle Peter who wrote: "Husbands . . .dwell with [your wives] with understanding, giving honor to the wife . . .and being heirs together of the grace of life that your prayers may not be hindered . . .be of one mind, having compassion for one another . . .be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For 'He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him see peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.' And who will be able to harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled." (1Peter 3:7-13).

To all of you poised to cast stones at Tiger and Elin, just remember--stones thrown from darkness often ricochet.