Embarrassingly, I must confess, I had little interest in the trades. The individuals who were employed by the tasks of manual labor were nice enough to converse with, though to me their actual work seemed very mundane and redundant. That is, until my church and parsonage burnt to their foundations in September 1985.
After the ground was broken, I visited the construction site daily. Each trip heightened my understanding and provided a weekly accumulation of respect for the laborers. The most significant moment came when I viewed all of the pipes the plumbers had installed on the ground that would soon become the basement floor. Then the cement trucks pulled up, and several tons of concrete covered the pipes, permanently entombing them. Now, all my feelings turned to awe and admiration. If one pipe was even a half inch off it would impact everything up to the second floor. Worse yet, under a foot of concrete the error could never be rectified. I was mesmerized at the precision of the plumbers work and the confidence they had as not a single plumber flinched with the pouring of the cement, forever sealing the pipes.
The same could be true for the carpenters, whom I learned did more planning and measuring than pounding. In fact, pounding nails seemed to be the least of their responsibilities. Brick layers don’t slap one brick upon another. There were chalk lines on the floor, string lines horizontal and vertical for additional guidance along the walls. Most astonishing, each brick laid had a level put to it before moving to the next. Perhaps the greatest feat of all is the one electrician who was on the premises, who single-handedly wired the entire building.
A Christological title that one may never think of associating with Jesus is “The Stone.” An examination of the Scriptures will demonstrate that this is one of the most significant designations that can be afforded to him.
A Psalm reads, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.” (118:22) The confession is that Israel, rejected by all nations, will one day rule supreme over all the lands. As Israel was never fully restored, it called into question the psalmist’ vision. Centuries later, Jesus repeated this Psalm, then went on to teach, “The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.” (Mt 21: 44) Similar to Israel, Jesus will be reviled and insulted, rejected and crucified, though all who do so will be crushed, for ultimate victory and glory belong to him. The word of psalmist has proven to be true for those who have waited in faith
The prophet Isaiah spoke against Ahaz along with his coconspirators, and contrasted them to the Israelites who struggled in opposition to remain faithful to the Pentateuch. In doing so, the restitution will come with the Messiah, “He will become like a sanctuary, a stone one strikes against; for both houses of Israel, he will become a rock one stumbles over – a trap and a snare for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” (8:14) This at first may seem like a conflicting statement until its nuances are revealed. An individual who is a cohort of Ahaz will find the altar to be a blockade, a group of meaningless rocks to stumble over, a hindrance to moving forward with Ahaz’s materialistic and political agenda. A man in conflict with Ahaz will find solace at the altar of the Lord in the sanctuary of the Temple. Applied to Jesus, an individual who understands him to be the Messiah will be spirit filled and at peace. A person who greets Jesus with indifference or is actively hostile will be passing judgment upon himself. Jesus can either be the altar of tranquility or an obstacle to worldly desires.
George Beverly Shea was taking a leisurely walk with his father, a Methodist minister, when they encountered the great hymn writer Clara Tear Williams. Rev. Shea introduced the two and all had a pleasant conversation. Returning home, George shared the experience with his mother, noting especially the peaceful countenance of Mrs. Williams. Mrs. Shea went to the piano and played and sang one of Clara Williams’ most popular hymns, Satisfied. So impressed by the hymn, eight-year-old George memorized the words, singing them often to himself. Perhaps this was the beginning of his preparation to sing at the Billy Graham evangelistic rallies for over fifty years.
The first and third verse are printed, followed by the refrain:
v.1
All my life I had a longing
For a drink from some clear spring,
That I hoped would quench the burning
Of the thirst I felt within.
v.3
Poor I was, and sought for riches,
Something that would satisfy,
But the dust I gathered round me
Only mocked my soul’s sad cry.
Refrain
Hallelujah! I have found Him
Whom my soul so long has craved!
Jesus satisfies my longings,
Through His blood I now am saved.
Those who encounter Jesus not as a stumbling block to ill perceived worldliness but as the true nourishment of life, will be satisfied.
Isaiah once more used the analogy of a stone to illustrate the plight of Israel. Speaking for the Lord, “See, I am laying in Zion a foundation stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation: ‘One who trusts will not panic.’” (28:16) Even though the Jews had made a political treaty with the Assyrians, God still promised to restore them to the holy city of Jerusalem. Jesus used this as the basis for his parable of the foolish man who built his house upon the sand, and the wise man who built his home upon a rock. (Lk 6: 47-49) Jesus is once again declaring that he is the sure foundation of life.
Doubt is a plague that attacks us all. A lack of faith has a single root, but its tentacles are numerous as worries beset us all. But if we believe in Jesus as the sure foundation, it is known that “one who trusts will not panic.”
Peter uses the inference of stones to confess the blessing of church fellowship. The Keeper of the Keys wrote, “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.” (I Pet 2: 4-5) Peter is saying each Christian is like a stone. Each stone comprises a part of the church. The foundation stone upon which all rest is Jesus Christ.
The church is not built on creeds and doctrines, bishops and district superintendents, pastors and church administrators, and talented lay persons. As important as all these are, they often prove to be divisive and unstable. The church is built upon the Word of our Lord.
This is why Peter realized the church must be built upon Jesus, who can neither crack nor crumble. Believers must always have one foot firmly planted on the rock of Jesus; the other in outreach to the community. One foot can never be moved, the other foot must always be active and assertive.
My home state, Pennsylvania, is known as “The Keystone State.” Several origins are listed for this nickname, but there is one I always hold prominent. A keystone is the center stone that holds an arch together. Among the thirteen original colonies, Pennsylvania’s geographic location made it the keystone binding together the colonies North and South.
Jesus is the keystone that holds our lives and our congregations together in times of adversity in addition to being our spiritual building block.