The Stone That Jesus Threw!

Monday, March 23, 2026

Dan 13: 1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62; Jn 8: 1-11

Today’s Gospel invites us to throw stones at our own selves so that conversion becomes possible.

In the Gospel, the Scribes and the Pharisees bring before Jesus a woman caught in adultery. They come with stones in hand because, according to the Mosaic Law, such adulterous women should be stoned. Hence, the passage appears to reveal their concern for justice. But we understand that, deep-down, it is a trap laid for Jesus. 

If they had known the law well, they could have punished the woman accordingly. Why would they bring her to Jesus? By doing so, the Scribes and the Pharisees place Jesus in a dilemma. If he shows mercy to the woman, he will contradict the Mosaic Law. If he follows the Law, he will contradict his own message of mercy and compassion.

Faced with this dilemma, Jesus does something unthinkable to anyone. He says, ‘Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’ Though they come to trap Jesus, they stand trapped by Jesus’ masterful response. Hence, with his response, Jesus casts a stone at those who come to stone the woman caught in adultery. 

The stone that Jesus throws at them turns them inward. The stone that Jesus throws unsettles them. It disturbs their inner comfort. It shatters their illusion of moral superiority. Jesus’ stone breaks the cover that hid their self-righteousness. As a result, the crowd that wanted to seek justice was brought to a standstill thanks to the confrontation with truth.

We must note that Jesus did not humiliate those who believed themselves to be righteous. The statement was not his attempt to embarrass them publicly. Instead, he invited them to see the truth. His response compelled them to see who they were, not who they pretended to be. Hence, the moment of discomfort became the occasion for their conversion as well.

In my view, Jesus performs a miracle here as well. Indeed, the story ends not with stones thrown, but with stones dropped. 

Let us pray that we may be awakened to the truth about ourselves so that we may move towards conversion.

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar