The Stone in the Crowd

John 8: 59

So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

There’s an old adage, “people with glass houses shouldn’t throw stones”. It’s a wise commentary on how we must practice self-examination and self-awareness before we pass judgement on someone else. It can go too far, stopping us from saying anything at all.

It’s one thing to keep our mouths shut to avoid passing judgement or “throwing stones,” but it’s something quite different to be the stone that has been thrown into the crowd. When Jesus Christ came into the world, he became the stone hurled into creation to disturb and discomfort. It’s as though a stone was cast into the waters of creation and the ripples disturb what we have known.

Jesus didn’t have to be hurled into a crowd as a stone cast into water. He simply needed to exist to cause discomfort. His words and teachings, while not necessarily something new, needed to be present in a room to create tension so dense that it could be cut with a butter knife.
Have you ever been in a room when, by their mere presence, a person causes the tension in the room to rise? Imagine being that person in a room, that by your presence, the atmosphere changes and the tension becomes palpable. For some people, this is an everyday occurrence. There are people that live within that tension, merely by existing and thriving as God desires.

Jesus was, and is, more than simply “brave.” It takes courage to show up, to be vulnerable, and to be changed.

In this season, as we see the hope of resurrection in the distance, we are charged with more than practicing self-awareness so that we refrain from passing judgement. We are compelled to be the disturbers of the tranquil pond, as disciples of Jesus Christ. Jesus showed up to risk his life for the sake of the world. As his disciples, we risk so little for the sake of forgiveness, life-giving ministry, mercy, and the courage to continue the work we’ve been given.

prayer

O God, you have called us to be your children, and have promised that those who suffer with Christ will be heirs with him of your glory: Arm us with such trust in him that we may ask no rest from his demands and have no fear in his service; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen