Yesterday, we discussed the metaphor of Christ as the cornerstone of our faith. It was a short, but fun study. I am sure there are many implications of the metaphor I missed, but what we did discuss was fascinating (at least to me!). If you want to check out that study, you can find it here: Cornerstone: The Quest: Day 36.0. Today we will stick with the same verses, and look at the notion of believers as living stones. I am hoping to focus on believers, what we will call the obedient, today, and unbelivers, or the disobedient tomorrow. This will seem pretty familiar to anyone who read the studies on James 3 & 4, entitled The Wise: The Quest: Day 11.0 & The Proud: The Quest: Day 14.0. Similarly, I would like to bring in Psalms 1, and other scripture.
4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”8 and
“A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
1 Peter 2:4-8
The obedient, living stones
Keeping in mind the notion of Christ as the cornerstone of the Christian faith, let’s look at the living stones, the obedient. What does Peter have to say about them? We, the believers, obedient to the will and word of God, are like living stones. These stones are rejected by men. It is an interesting phrase, rejected by men. Certainly, we know from 1 Peter 1 that at least some of Peter’s audience was suffering persecutions.
6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:6-7
Living stones rejected
But, it isn’t clear that all of the members of all of the churches Peter is writing to, are all undergoing persecution. Indeed, we can see from the new testament that there were among the believers Romans citizens of rank – whether military or civil rank, Jewish leaders outside of Jerusalem, like Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and others (the Ethiopian Eunuch comes to mind) etc., who all believed. It is not clear that these people were all persecuted for their faith.
If everyone who believed and was obedient to Christ was persecuted and martyred, it would be easy to equate Peter’s use of the word rejected with persecution and death. Or, if the body of the Church (with a capital C) were made up entirely of beggars and outcasts, we could interpret rejected in that sense. But, Christianity is made of (and was even at that time made up) peoples as miscellaneous as people can be. So, what then can Peter mean by rejected? It is a great catch-all term, first of all. And, in it we may include the persecuted, the outcasts, and the like. Lord knows I am not trying to further exclude them! But, I am put in mind of other scripture.
It pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe
The following verses are a bit long, but in every way worth reading. They happily include the very same metaphor Peter uses above!
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
1 Corinthians 1:18-25
The obedient are often rejected
In a personal side note, I have experienced real persecution, albeit in a small way. When I was a kid in middle school, we had a small Bible study and prayer group that met at lunch. We had rocks thrown at us, and there was a lot of shouting and jibing, a lot of what you might call tomfoolery. It was silly of course, but it did feel pretty threatening at the time. In more recent years, I had to leave former employment. No one threatened to kill me. But, they did threaten to fire me. It was not fun, but happily I told my employers I would rather be out of a job than sell my faith to obey their dictates. Thankfully, I never did get fired. God provided other employment. Praise God for that! I am getting to the point, I promise.
To the obedient, the living stones, the gospel is life, hope, and promise. To the disobedient unbeliever, it is ridiculous, and easily dismissed. Paul captures this sort of rejection in his writing to the Corinthians. He says, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. And, in my own experience it really is folly to the unbeliever.
Real world rejection
How many times have you had conversations with “nice” or “well-meaning” men and women who take you seriously in conversations about social issues, economic issues, political issues, etc., right up until you express your faith? At that moment, they smile a kindly, but obviously patronizing, smile and the conversation usually fizzles out. Sometimes these conversations turn into debates on the existence of God. Sometimes your interlocutor will point out all the heinous crimes that have been committed throughout the centuries in the name of Christianity, as if that were proof of its falsehood rather than proof of the wickedness of men. In my own experiences like these, I have yet to have someone ask how they might become a believer. I pray it happens, but so far it has not.
I think we should include this aspect of rejection in our reading of Peter’s verses. This is a very real way the obedient believer is often rejected. We are rejected as simpletons and fools. Peter and Paul tell us to expect it.
God builds the Church of living stones
But, Peter says the living stones, the obedient, are chosen by God and precious to Him. As living stones we are part of the edifice of the Christian faith. We, as members of the Church – the body of Christ – are laid stone upon stone, oriented toward God in Christ, and together form the habitation of God.
How is a church like a palm tree?
Time is so fleeting! I am out of time again! I meant to bring in John and Psalms 1, etc. But, for now I will have to move on with my day. I do want to include a short passage from the Psalms before I go. Peter paints a vivid image of each of us being built up together upon Christ, our foundation, as the living Church. I think the following fits wonderfully.
12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree
Psalm 92:12-15
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 They are planted in the house of the Lord;
they flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They still bear fruit in old age;
they are ever full of sap and green,
15 to declare that the Lord is upright;
he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
While the image here is of a palm tree, the general sense of the language fits. The obedient living stones are laid upon a firm foundation. Together they comprise the house of the Lord. They bear fruit, or as Peter writes they offer spiritual sacrifices. They are set apart as a holy priesthood. All of it is because of Christ our cornerstone. He is the first stone of the foundation of our faith. Christ orients the believers toward God. He is our rock.
