Journey Through Lent - Day 16

The builder chooses the cornerstone most carefully. Everything emanates from it. The load bearing arches, the enormous walls, every successive stone, all established on the perfect dimensions beauty and strength of that cornerstone. Peter says, We are coming to God's chosen cornerstone. The language speaks of being drawn to this chosen and honored stone. And Peter says in him, this Chosen One this chosen stone, we have become living stones, now built in established upon the chosen one. How did this Chosen One become so perfect for this job? Peter now sees that it was through his rejection and his suffering. Peter didn't see it at first. He was looking for something else. Something more obvious, something that looked more like Empire, Kingdom strength, conquest. A stone that was hewn from these elements are what Peter and the whole world are looking for. In fact, Jesus tells Peter and the disciples that he is going to be rejected, beaten, flogged and killed. And Peter's response was to rebuke Jesus for saying such things. But Jesus rebukes Peter because he's missing the whole point of what God is doing in Christ. He is establishing his kingdom upon sacrificial self giving love, not force, not control, not domination. And in his sacrificial self giving offering of his very life, he wins for all of humanity, the right to be called children of God. And that is what you are. Jesus is the chosen, the precious, the beautiful cornerstone. And in him, he chooses the world. He draws all the broken stones to himself, and he masterfully places each one in its place in his temple, bringing life beauty hope into this world. Today, let us see and worship the chosen one. In in his election is chosen this we have been made new amen

You are loved!