1 Peter 2:2-10, John 14:1-14
May 14, 2017
First Presbyterian Church, Sterling IL
Christina Berry
Our first reading for today is from 1 Peter 2:2-10,
a letter to the churches written sometime at end of the first century.
The epistles of 1st and 2nd Peter were likely not written
by the Apostle Peter himself, but by a later disciple.
The sophisticated Greek and the scripture quotations
from the Greek version of the Hebrew scriptures
indicate that it is unlikely that a fisherman from Galilee was the author.
The letters were written to Christians in what is now Turkey,
and were written to them during a time of distress.
In that time it was increasingly difficult, if not dangerous, to be a Christian.
Slander, accusations, insults, and discrimination were growing,
and would later turn into outright persecution
for those Christians who refused to worship the emperor.
This letter is meant to be encouraging, and fortifying,
for this young church made up mostly of Gentiles.
The temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed in about the year 70;
the western wall, still stands in modern-day Israel.
Those stones, still standing strong, are a good image for this text.
Let’s listen for God’s word to us in 1 Peter 2:2-10
Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk,
so that by it you may grow into salvation—
if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals
yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones,
let yourselves be built into a spiritual house,
to be a holy priesthood,
to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
For it stands in scripture: “See, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious;
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
To you then who believe, he is precious;
but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the very head of the corner,”
and “A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
God’s own people, in order that you may 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.
The word of the Lord.
Our gospel reading today is from the very familiar
fourteenth chapter of John’s gospel, a text you hear often at funerals.
When I memorized it as a child, the words I learned were:
“In my Father’s house are many mansions.”
Back then, my understanding of this text was as a promise that in heaven, as the old song said, someday yonder, I’d have a mansion of my own.
The context for this text is far richer than that,
more than just a promise of a mansion in heaven.
This is a part of what is called the “farewell discourse,”
which was an important literary form of the time.
Almost like a final soliloquy in a play,
a farewell discourse is the last testament of a teacher,
like Socrates’ farewell speech to his students,
or Moses’ farewell to the Israelites.
A part of the function of this final lesson to the disciples
is that it reassures and instructs them,
so that they will carry on the work of their teacher.
which was an important literary form of the time.
Almost like a final soliloquy in a play,
a farewell discourse is the last testament of a teacher,
like Socrates’ farewell speech to his students,
or Moses’ farewell to the Israelites.
A part of the function of this final lesson to the disciples
is that it reassures and instructs them,
so that they will carry on the work of their teacher.
John’s gospel here is unequivocal in its assertion that Jesus
is the only way to God.
That way is prepared for us through Jesus Christ.
Let’s listen to the words of Jesus for us in John 14:1-14:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
is the only way to God.
That way is prepared for us through Jesus Christ.
Let’s listen to the words of Jesus for us in John 14:1-14:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again and will take you to myself,
so that where I am, there you may be also.
And you know the way to the place where I am going.”
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going.
How can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you know me, you will know my Father also.
From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”
I will come again and will take you to myself,
so that where I am, there you may be also.
And you know the way to the place where I am going.”
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going.
How can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you know me, you will know my Father also.
From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip,
and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own;
but the Father who dwells in me does his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me;
but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves.
Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me
will also do the works that I do and, in fact,
will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.
I will do whatever you ask in my name,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Our scripture texts today are full of images and metaphors.
As a poet, I enjoy that.
But as a writer, the reading from 1 Peter makes me nuts!
We start off fine, with that imagery of the “pure milk of the word,”
Then we shift to this metaphor of stones – Jesus as the cornerstone,
the disciples – that’s us – as the living stones.
Then the writer shifts the metaphor,
and we’re talking about Jesus as a stone,
and/or the gospel message as a stumbling block to the unbeliever,
or the image of Jesus as the building block that was rejected.
Please, epistle writer, one image or metaphor at a time!
It reminds me of the bad analogy contest held by the Washington Post.
Here are some of the winners:
and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own;
but the Father who dwells in me does his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me;
but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves.
Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me
will also do the works that I do and, in fact,
will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.
I will do whatever you ask in my name,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Our scripture texts today are full of images and metaphors.
As a poet, I enjoy that.
But as a writer, the reading from 1 Peter makes me nuts!
We start off fine, with that imagery of the “pure milk of the word,”
Then we shift to this metaphor of stones – Jesus as the cornerstone,
the disciples – that’s us – as the living stones.
Then the writer shifts the metaphor,
and we’re talking about Jesus as a stone,
and/or the gospel message as a stumbling block to the unbeliever,
or the image of Jesus as the building block that was rejected.
Please, epistle writer, one image or metaphor at a time!
It reminds me of the bad analogy contest held by the Washington Post.
Here are some of the winners:
“The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil.
But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.”
“Even in his last years, grandpappy had a mind like a steel trap,
only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.”
See what I mean?
Those are almost as bad as mixed metaphors.
I had a friend who was brilliant at those.
My favorite was “Put that feather in your hat and smoke it!”
Here are some other winners:
“We could stand here and talk until the cows turn blue.
I’ll get it by hook or ladder.
From now on, I’m watching everything you do with a fine-tuned comb.”[1]
See, that’s so confusing!
So, rather than try to untangle whether Jesus or we are the living stones,
or what the stumbling block and rejected cornerstone have to do with it,
we’re going to just pick one – that wonderful image of living stones.
I mentioned that by the time 1 Peter was written,
the temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed.
There had been an uprising of Jews – the zealots,
an uprising long feared and suppressed by the Romans.
The Jews had scored some surprising military victories early on,
but their defenses in Jerusalem could not hold.
“the Romans employed new war machines
to hurl boulders against the city walls.
Battering rams assaulted the fortifications.
Jewish defenders fought all day and struggled to rebuild the walls at night.
Eventually the Romans broke through the outer wall,
then the second wall, and finally the third wall.
Still the Jews fought, scurrying to the temple as their last line of defense.
That was the end for the valiant Jewish defenders and for the temple.
But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.”
“Even in his last years, grandpappy had a mind like a steel trap,
only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.”
See what I mean?
Those are almost as bad as mixed metaphors.
I had a friend who was brilliant at those.
My favorite was “Put that feather in your hat and smoke it!”
Here are some other winners:
“We could stand here and talk until the cows turn blue.
I’ll get it by hook or ladder.
From now on, I’m watching everything you do with a fine-tuned comb.”[1]
See, that’s so confusing!
So, rather than try to untangle whether Jesus or we are the living stones,
or what the stumbling block and rejected cornerstone have to do with it,
we’re going to just pick one – that wonderful image of living stones.
I mentioned that by the time 1 Peter was written,
the temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed.
There had been an uprising of Jews – the zealots,
an uprising long feared and suppressed by the Romans.
The Jews had scored some surprising military victories early on,
but their defenses in Jerusalem could not hold.
“the Romans employed new war machines
to hurl boulders against the city walls.
Battering rams assaulted the fortifications.
Jewish defenders fought all day and struggled to rebuild the walls at night.
Eventually the Romans broke through the outer wall,
then the second wall, and finally the third wall.
Still the Jews fought, scurrying to the temple as their last line of defense.
That was the end for the valiant Jewish defenders and for the temple.
Historian Josephus claimed that Titus wanted to preserve the temple,
but his soldiers were so angry at their resilient opponents that they burned it.”[2]
but his soldiers were so angry at their resilient opponents that they burned it.”[2]
It was a devastating blow to the Jewish people,
one which they still remember in the observance of “Tisha B’Av.”
The temple, the place of sacrifice and atonement,
the place where the spirit of God was known to dwell, was utterly destroyed.
The temple was gone.
Where, now, was God to dwell?
Only the western wall remained standing.
That wall still stands, and is a place of prayer and remembrance.
When people go to pray at the western wall,
they often insert written prayers between the stones.
There is a saying, from a song about the wall:
“There are people with hearts of stone, and stones with hearts of people.”
It’s hard to know if the writer of 1 Peter was thinking of that wall,
when he drew from the Old Testament images of living stones.
But it was then, and is now, a powerful image
for those of us who understand ourselves to be the church.
You know, of course, that the church is not a building.
As the Prelude Pondering says,
“People don’t enter a church; the church enters a building.”
But this image helps us make that even plainer –
you ARE the church, you are the living stones
being built up into a church, a dwelling place for God.
If we are the wall, the building,
then Christ is indeed our foundation and cornerstone.
If Christ lives in us, and we live in Christ,
then we are indeed a wall of living stones, a spiritual structure.
And because of the promises of Jesus Christ, our cornerstone,
God’s holy temple is in you – in me – in us.
Our living Lord assures us – believe!
Do not let your hearts be troubled!
Even in troubled times, we trust his words –
that while we are a living church, a place for Christ to dwell,
he is creating for us a final dwelling place,
through God’s initiative, not our own,
a place of expansive love and roomy grace, where all are welcome.
Until that day when we go to that place,
we are to do the works to which Christ has called us,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
We are the church!
No weapon of war will destroy us;
no hatred or prejudice will define us;
no ridicule can discourage us;
no dismissal will dissuade us;
no act of oppression will stop us.
We are the church – the location of prayer and praise,
resistance and renewal, sustenance and song,
We are the church, where the bread is broken and the cup is poured
so that we will be strengthened for action.
We do not do this on our own power,
but the master builder shapes us and sets us together,
supports us and makes us into a fit place for Christ to live.
We are living stones, continually being built up into the church.
one which they still remember in the observance of “Tisha B’Av.”
The temple, the place of sacrifice and atonement,
the place where the spirit of God was known to dwell, was utterly destroyed.
The temple was gone.
Where, now, was God to dwell?
Only the western wall remained standing.
That wall still stands, and is a place of prayer and remembrance.
When people go to pray at the western wall,
they often insert written prayers between the stones.
There is a saying, from a song about the wall:
“There are people with hearts of stone, and stones with hearts of people.”
It’s hard to know if the writer of 1 Peter was thinking of that wall,
when he drew from the Old Testament images of living stones.
But it was then, and is now, a powerful image
for those of us who understand ourselves to be the church.
You know, of course, that the church is not a building.
As the Prelude Pondering says,
“People don’t enter a church; the church enters a building.”
But this image helps us make that even plainer –
you ARE the church, you are the living stones
being built up into a church, a dwelling place for God.
If we are the wall, the building,
then Christ is indeed our foundation and cornerstone.
If Christ lives in us, and we live in Christ,
then we are indeed a wall of living stones, a spiritual structure.
And because of the promises of Jesus Christ, our cornerstone,
God’s holy temple is in you – in me – in us.
Our living Lord assures us – believe!
Do not let your hearts be troubled!
Even in troubled times, we trust his words –
that while we are a living church, a place for Christ to dwell,
he is creating for us a final dwelling place,
through God’s initiative, not our own,
a place of expansive love and roomy grace, where all are welcome.
Until that day when we go to that place,
we are to do the works to which Christ has called us,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
We are the church!
No weapon of war will destroy us;
no hatred or prejudice will define us;
no ridicule can discourage us;
no dismissal will dissuade us;
no act of oppression will stop us.
We are the church – the location of prayer and praise,
resistance and renewal, sustenance and song,
We are the church, where the bread is broken and the cup is poured
so that we will be strengthened for action.
We do not do this on our own power,
but the master builder shapes us and sets us together,
supports us and makes us into a fit place for Christ to live.
We are living stones, continually being built up into the church.
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