Daily Bread 2010 - 1 Peter 2
Daily Bread – 1 Peter 2
The Living Stone and a Chosen People
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.
Since Peter is speaking to a Jewish audience, he uses the imagery of the stone temple built by human hands. He compares the cold, non-living stone temple, with the spiritual temple that is being built by God through Jesus Christ. And the cornerstone of this temple is Jesus Christ. As we come to God through faith in Jesus Christ, we too are being built into this spiritual house of God, which we call the Church.
And just like in the temple there were priests, who acted as mediators between God and the people, there is a priesthood in this new spiritual house as well. And this is a royal priesthood, meaning it combines the work of the King (royalty) and also the Priest (offering sacrifices on behalf of himself and the people). Of course, Jesus was the perfect Priest/King, as we made us right with God through His once and for all sacrifice on the cross, and also now rules as King at the right hand of God.
But as each of us become a believer in Christ we too become a little Priest/King and make of the new royal priesthood of those brought out of the world to represent God to the world. Martin Luther called this the “priesthood of all believers”. This was a key concept he used to fight against the hierarchical system in the Roman Catholic church where only the ordained priest, was considered a priest.
Does it seem odd to you that you are a priest? Given the cultural understanding of that word, it may have a pejorative interpretation in our 21st century. But in the biblical sense, being a priest is the greatest privilege we have as human beings. The privilege being, to be a conduit between God and others.
Practically speaking what this can mean, is to discover our spiritual gifts that the New Testament describes in 1 Corinthians 12-14 and Romans 12. As we become the priesthood of all believers we are the living temple of God, not made out of stones, but the Living Stone of Jesus we can use our gifts to build this new temple.
This new temple is being built ever day, and one day Jesus will return (note: Advent, which begins this Sunday, is a time of anticipation of Jesus’ second coming as well as a celebration of His first coming).
Jesus, as we begin this Advent season, help us to be ready for your return. We come to you the Living Stone and through faith have become part of the spiritual house which you started and you will finish. Help us to discover our own spiritual gifts so we can continue to build this spiritual house called the Church until you return in Your glory! Amen.
The Living Stone and a Chosen People
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.
Since Peter is speaking to a Jewish audience, he uses the imagery of the stone temple built by human hands. He compares the cold, non-living stone temple, with the spiritual temple that is being built by God through Jesus Christ. And the cornerstone of this temple is Jesus Christ. As we come to God through faith in Jesus Christ, we too are being built into this spiritual house of God, which we call the Church.
And just like in the temple there were priests, who acted as mediators between God and the people, there is a priesthood in this new spiritual house as well. And this is a royal priesthood, meaning it combines the work of the King (royalty) and also the Priest (offering sacrifices on behalf of himself and the people). Of course, Jesus was the perfect Priest/King, as we made us right with God through His once and for all sacrifice on the cross, and also now rules as King at the right hand of God.
But as each of us become a believer in Christ we too become a little Priest/King and make of the new royal priesthood of those brought out of the world to represent God to the world. Martin Luther called this the “priesthood of all believers”. This was a key concept he used to fight against the hierarchical system in the Roman Catholic church where only the ordained priest, was considered a priest.
Does it seem odd to you that you are a priest? Given the cultural understanding of that word, it may have a pejorative interpretation in our 21st century. But in the biblical sense, being a priest is the greatest privilege we have as human beings. The privilege being, to be a conduit between God and others.
Practically speaking what this can mean, is to discover our spiritual gifts that the New Testament describes in 1 Corinthians 12-14 and Romans 12. As we become the priesthood of all believers we are the living temple of God, not made out of stones, but the Living Stone of Jesus we can use our gifts to build this new temple.
This new temple is being built ever day, and one day Jesus will return (note: Advent, which begins this Sunday, is a time of anticipation of Jesus’ second coming as well as a celebration of His first coming).
Jesus, as we begin this Advent season, help us to be ready for your return. We come to you the Living Stone and through faith have become part of the spiritual house which you started and you will finish. Help us to discover our own spiritual gifts so we can continue to build this spiritual house called the Church until you return in Your glory! Amen.
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