Lesson 125: The Elder’s Stones

Kentucky Chaplain David Chaltas

There was a small church in the foothills of Appalachia that had bickering families as members of the same congregation. They talked about each other and even the preacher was blamed for not uniting them. No one really knew what the division was about, but it had been going on for some time. Out of frustration, the young preacher asked for assistance from an old parson from a nearby church. The elderly parson consented to attend the young minister’s church on Sunday. The old sage met each parishioner at the door and gave him or her a small stone. At the appointed time the church was filled with the usual congregation, each group sitting on different sides.

The young preacher stood before the people and offered a stirring sermon that seemed to seep slowly through the group without really taking hold. Then the elderly man slowly rose and began preaching on love, understanding and forgiveness. He read the following verses taken from John 8: 1-8: “1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 11"No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

He then asked each person to take the stone that he had given each church member as they entered the church and stated that if he had ever done anything to offend them, to cast it at him. The congregation looked around bewildered, wondering who would be the first to cast it in his direction. The silence was deafening.

After what seemed to be an eternity, the ole parson then asked the young preacher to stand and made the same request. Again the congregation simply sat there with head bowed and submissive to their own conscious. The third request came crashing down like lightning. If anyone within the confines of the church had done anything that could not be forgiven by the brothers and sisters, cast the stone in their direction. Again nothing other than sobs from those that had been arguing.

The old parson gently reminded the people that it was their duty to live as Christ, embracing forgiveness, love and being none judgmental in their attitude towards each other. He asked each person to place the small stone in his pocket and/or her purse to be a reminder of the lesson of the day that is the backbone of faith: “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

After the church service, the young parson was approached by a couple of men. Containing themselves no longer, they threw their arms around the preacher’s neck, asking his forgiveness. People were outside shaking hands, hugging each other, and drinking from the cup of fellowship once more. Their hearts had been convicted by their own conscious and once again the division was healed by the power of an elder’s stone. I remain you none stone throwing servant, the old general.