Throwing rocks. AT a living person. Until they die. That is what stoning is.
It was the death penalty of Biblical time. (...still practiced in some cultures today)
It just sounds horrible to me. I can't fathom throwing a rock at somebody, especially with the intentions of it being a death blow.
The religious leaders' in John 8 suggested a stoning. Not because they wanted justice, but because they manipulated the rules for their own purpose.
That old saying about sticks and stones? It's a lie. Words hurt and can bring about death.
So I repent this morning as God shows me my words can be spewed out like stones at some guilty person, not because I'm concerned with justice, but because I too am capable of manipulating the rules for my own purpose.
Lord, give me a heart like Yours...full of mercy and compassion. I purpose not to be an executioner of those caught in sin, but an encourager, encouraging them to leave it behind.
