Solid rock

By David ReayFriday 14 Aug 2015LifeWords DevotionalsFaithReading Time: 0 minutes

Read 1 Peter 2:4-8

4-8 Welcome to the living Stone, the source of life. The workmen took one look and threw it out; God set it in the place of honor. Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you’ll serve as holy priests offering Christ-approved lives up to God. The Scriptures provide precedent:

               Look! I’m setting a stone in Zion,
                   a cornerstone in the place of honor.
               Whoever trusts in this stone as a foundation
                   will never have cause to regret it.

To you who trust him, he’s a Stone to be proud of, but to those who refuse to trust him,

               The stone the workmen threw out
                   is now the chief foundation stone.

For the untrusting it’s

               …a stone to trip over,
                  a boulder blocking the way.

They trip and fall because they refuse to obey, just as predicted. (The Message)

Many years ago I went on an Outward Bound course. Among many other things, we did rock climbing, and also rock hopping along Colo Gorge. The latter involved stepping along river rocks, some of which were unstable and could cause us to fall. Others were solid under our feet. When rock climbing we had to make sure the rocks would bear our weight. Some might look solid enough but would crumble under pressure.

So there are rocks, and there are rocks. A rock can trip us up. A rock can give way beneath us. A rock can give us a sure footing. In this passage, Peter (whose name means ‘rock’), speaks of Jesus as a stone. It is a reference to Jesus being the foundation of our faith. Particularly his resurrection, hence his being a living stone. He is the key stone, the foundation of our faith, and of the people of God.

Yet so many reject him. They stumble over him. He trips them up by his resurrection, by his radical claims on their lives. The same Jesus who offers comfort, strength, and grace to those who place their trust in him, is a stumbling block to those who want to fashion their own God.

God’s people are themselves like living stones. God isn’t to be seen as living in a building made of stones and stained glass. He lives in his people. They relate directly to God through Jesus and not through human intermediaries.

We are God’s people if we place our trust in Jesus. He doesn’t trip us up, he lifts us up and invites us to find our security now and always in him.

Blessings
David Reay