SERMON: Living
Stones
TEXT: 1 Peter 2:2-10
Do you ever
feel like you need to edit the Bible? I mean, those lists of “begats” in
the Old Testament – do we really need those?
Not to mention the fact that some of the stories are pretty violent and
gory. Then there’s the apostle Paul, who
seems to talk in circles, using three paragraphs for what he could have said in
three sentences. And some of these
metaphors the writers use – who ever heard of a “living stone”? And what does the writer mean when he calls
his readers to “Come to [the Lord] as a living stone”?
Now, I know
that Simon and Garfunkle had a song called “I am a
Rock,” but I don’t recall ever thinking that was a good thing. After all, stones are not “living”. They don’t move unless something moves
them. They are cold and hard, often not
very beautiful, and they just sit there!
Remember the “pet rock” of the 1970’s?
I never understood that phenomenon!
People paid good money for a rock in a box no different than the rocks
in their back yard. I don’t even want to
know how much money someone made off that venture! And frankly, one of the annoying things about
Besides, we
heard from the Book of Acts that Stephen was stoned to death because of his
belief in Jesus. And stones were often
used for killing in Biblical times. The
woman caught in adultery was about to be stoned to death when Jesus stepped in
and said, “Let the one who is without sin cast the first stone.”
On the other hand, I’ll have to admit
that I do enjoy driving in the Ozarks and seeing the natural walls of stone on
either side of the road. So, some rocks
are beautiful, I guess. I like rock
gardens and polished, decorative rocks.
And a bubbling brook would not be bubbling at all if it weren’t for the
rocks.
Furthermore, rocks provide an
image of strength, endurance, steadfastness, even safety. They are able to be used in a variety of ways
for a variety of purposes. One of my
favorite things about
When I was growing up we had a
large rock in our front yard. It was
probably about two and a half feet tall, four feet long, and a foot wide. At one end, it was a little taller and sloped
down a couple of inches to the other end.
So, to us and all the kids in the neighborhood, it was the perfect
horse. Three or four of us could ride at
one time, so it came in very handy when we were playing cowboys and
Indians. Little did we know it, but
riding the rock was also a tool for us in establishing a foundation in
classical music, as we sang the William Tell Overture, put to our own
words: To the dump, to the dump, to the
dump, dump, dump! And whenever we played
tag, or hide and seek, the rock provided a great hiding place, as well as the
safe spot, the home base, or ghoul, as we called it. (Where that term came from, I have no
idea.) If you were touching the rock,
you were safe – you could not be tagged out.
I didn’t realize it then, of
course, but what a wonderful metaphor that rock was in how God can be
understood as rock and refuge. Just as the rock of my childhood was a safe
place in my playtime, I can easily relate to how the rock that is God is my
refuge in life.
Also remember that Peter himself
was nicknamed “the Rock” by Jesus, who said of him, “Upon this rock, I will
build my church.” Whether it was that
same Peter who wrote these words is uncertain, but it doesn’t matter. With the name Peter or Cephas
which means “rock” you know that someone will expect you to be strong, loyal,
and steadfast.
So, I guess if Peter “the Rock”
called believers “living stones”, the expectation was even greater. “Like living stones,” Peter wrote, “let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy
priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus
Christ.” To be a living stone, then,
means NOT that we are cold and hard, NOT that we stone others with our beliefs,
but that we as the church stand firm
on our foundation that is Christ Jesus.
To be a living stone means NOT that we are immovable and unchanging, but
that we are strong in our faith, that we persevere in our mission,
that we do not run from trouble when others might try to break us
down. To be a living stone means that we
understand that we are stronger together than we are individually. To be living stones means that sometimes we
join together to build walls of safety and sanctuary, and sometimes we lay
ourselves down like a cobblestone walk of welcome to open the way for the
others. The building up of the church
continues to rely on “living stones” like us.
Although all of us have been
rejected at one time or another by humans, Peter reminds us that we are chosen
and precious in God’s sight. Like the
geodes that I showed the children, we may feel ugly and worthless on the
outside, but God knows the beauty that lies within. Remember, too, that even Jesus was
rejected. Peter describes him as “the
stone that the builders rejected.” He
was betrayed by a friend; he was cursed at, laughed at, beaten, whipped, spat
upon, crucified.
But God chose him to be the cornerstone of all creation. “See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone
chosen and precious; and whoever believes
in him will not be put to shame.”
Those who stumble do so because of their unbelief, because of their
disobedience.
Haven’t we all stumbled a time
or two in our walk of faith? Haven’t we
disobeyed the will of God somewhere along the way? But the Rock who is God does not give up on
us. God continues to call us. God calls us again today to be “living
stones,” chosen and precious in God’s sight.
Peter reminds the church that “we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, God’s own people.” As
God’s people our task is to “proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out
of darkness into his marvelous light.
Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had
not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
If God’s mighty act of
salvation, acceptance, and mercy is enough to make “even the stones cry out,”
it is enough to breathe new life into cold, hard, lifeless stones like us.
So may we all find ourselves accepted,
chosen, inspired, and strengthened to build ourselves into the spiritual house
that God calls us to be. May we be
LIVING STONES, strong, steadfast, enduring in our
faith for the building up of Christ’s church and… for the glory of God!
AMEN.