Pentecost 5 (2)

1 Peter 2:4–10 NIV

4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

How would you describe the organization that we call the church? Whether it is the local congregation or the Holy Christian Church, there are several ways of describing how a group of individuals with differences are combined together into one unit in order to perform one task.

We could describe it as an orchestra.

. . . a sports team

. . . an automobile

Two classic ways of describing the church in the Bible are that of the human body (one body with many parts with Jesus as the head) and as a building (built of stones with Jesus as the chief cornerstone and the prophets and apostles as the foundation).

This past week I was able to volunteer at a Bible camp held at Wyalusing State Park near Prairie du Chien, WI in the southwest corner of Wisconsin. The founders of the camp were not very creative in coming up with a name so they called it Camp Wyalusing.

Since it is a bible camp we focus on a biblical them throughout the week with our morning and evening devotions, Bible classes, and plays that we put on every day. The theme is also expressed in our T-shirt and songbook cover designs. Our theme this year was “The Rock of our Salvation”. We used key Bible passages to show different ways in which our God is referred to as a rock or stone and how he has saved us from our sins.

One key passage is found in

(NIV)

22 The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; 23 the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. 25 Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success! 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you. 27 The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine on us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar. 28 You are my God, and I will praise you; you are my God, and I will exalt you.

What does this mean?

Literally, it is saying that in a building project there was a stone that the builders did not think fitting to be used in the project but it was in fact the most important stone. But this passage is not about advice or commentary on how to build a structure out of stone. It has a figurative meeting. It is saying that someone who was rejected by others as not being good enough was indeed chosen by God to be the most important person.

Several times this is used as a passage to describe our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Jesus himself used it in his parable of the tenants as we heard in our Gospel lesson.

When Peter was on trial for healing a lame man in the name of Jesus, he also used it to refer to Jesus. Most likely recalling what Jesus had taught him.

Acts 4:8–12 NIV

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

He makes that same application here in our text. It teaches several points.

There were those who rejected Jesus (and still are)

God the Father chose Jesus to be our Savior.

1 Peter 1:17–21 NIV

17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

Matthew 12:15–21 NIV

15 Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. 16 He warned them not to tell others about him. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 18 “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. 19 He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory. 21 In his name the nations will put their hope.”

Jesus is the most important person in history and believed by Christians to be the most important person in our lives.

He is described as a precious stone (using the metaphor of the building). We could also think of him as a precious stone such as a diamond and how valued it is for its beauty and what it represents when it is placed on a ring.

God who chose Jesus to be the chosen one has also chosen us to believe in him. (Not by our own thinking or choosing).

John 15:14–16 NIV

14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.

It is quite an honor to be chosen. At camp I had my class choose up sides to play an athletic game. I did not even tell them specifically what game it was. The first camper chosen was a 14 year old African American who is almost six foot tall, extremely athletic, and a team player. Perhaps he felt proud to be chosen but having talked with him at camp he was also very humble. I think he was just honored.

Sometimes people get chosen because they are the best. But sometimes they are chosen even though they aren’t. St. Paul teaches us that when God chooses people to be living stones, we aren’t always the obvious choice.

1 Corinthians 1:26–31 NIV

26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

We can be thankful that God chose us to believe in Jesus and that he gives us a united task to perform to his glory.

Peter teaches us what that is.

1 Peter 2:9 NIV

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Jesus says we are chose to bear fruit.

We do this by not only trusting in Jesus as the rock of our salvation but also by sharing with others just how precious he is.