The Rock of Stumbling

Posted on by korgrocker

“Yes, you who trust him recognise the honour God has given him. But for those who reject him, “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.” And, “He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.”
1 Peter 2:7-8 NLT

In these two verses, Peter again quoted from the Old Testament. The first was a verse from Psalm 118:22, “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone”. This Psalm was very much associated with the Passover celebrations and encouraged the congregation to “Praise the Lord” – “Hallelujah!”. The Passover was all about the time when the Israelite slaves were released from the Egyptians and when they embarked on their long journey in the wilderness before they reached the Promised Land. So there was much to thank God for and the Feast of Passover was celebrated every year. But dropped into the middle of this Psalm was the verse about the cornerstone. A thought that a common item, such as a stone used for building, was thrown away by the builders because they thought it unsuitable. A prophetic glimpse that Jesus remembered and wove into the parable of the wicked farmers. They were the leaseholders of a vineyard, and when the landlord, the owner of the vineyard, sent servants to collect his rent, they were beaten up, even killed. Jesus continued the story, “Finally, the owner sent his son, thinking, ‘Surely they will respect my son.’ “But when the tenant farmers saw his son coming, they said to one another, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Come on, let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’ So they grabbed him, dragged him out of the vineyard, and murdered him” (Matthew 21:37-39). Jesus was of course foretelling His death, and He reminded the Pharisees, to whom the parable was aimed, that they were rejecting their Messiah, the Cornerstone, by quoting Psalm 118:22, “Then Jesus asked them, “Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures? ‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see‘” (Matthew 21:42).

Peter went on to quote another Old Testament scripture, Isaiah 8:14. Referring to the Lord Himself, we read, “He will keep you safe. But to Israel and Judah he will be a stone that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare”. The context of this verse was a warning about the Assyrians. The Jews had become complacent and Isaiah prophesied that they will come to grief as a result of the Assyrian invasion because they had turned away from God. Isaiah 8:13-14a, “Make the Lord of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear. He is the one who should make you tremble. He will keep you safe … ”. The people were exhorted to trust God for their salvation, but for those who didn’t, they will trip over Him, falling to their destruction.

So what about today? What is the message in all this for us pilgrims? Just as it was in those days long ago, God is always there for us. He is the solution to our problems. As we trust in Him we will find security and safety. The world may rage around us, going to and fro between secular ideologies, staggering from one conflict to another, and if we get caught up in all of that we too will “trip” over the Rock that is God. Instead of being a solution He will become a problem to us. Instead of a foundation to keep our souls safe for eternity, we will find that failing to trust in the Rock will lead to our eternal destruction. Back to Isaiah 8, “Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark. They will go from one place to another, weary and hungry. And because they are hungry, they will rage and curse their king and their God. They will look up to heaven” (Isaiah 8:20-21).

Back to Psalm 118, the Hallelujah Psalm. We remember when we wake every morning, “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). Let us vow not to stumble over any “rocks” in our path today.

Father God. We thank You that in the storms of life You are always there for us, the Rock on who we stand. Amen.

Suffering

Posted on by korgrocker

“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.”
Romans 8:18 NLT

Paul compares the suffering being experienced by both him and the early Christians with the wonderful benefits of the future life spent with God. The persecution suffered by the first followers of the Way is well documented, and it frequently included torture and death, particularly during Nero’s reign after the major fire in Rome. Paul himself suffered much during his missionary journeys, as we read in 2 Corinthians 11:23b-27, “… I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm”. Now that is suffering and those early Christians were not unaware of what Paul had been through, because many of them experienced physical and economical hardship as well. We Western Christians have never experienced persecution on that scale, and we hope we never will.

Having said that, however, persecution is growing in the Western societies. Secularisation is well advanced and Christians are being increasingly marginalised. Congregations are dwindling. In Scotland we are currently going through a leadership election for a new First Minister, and one of the candidates, a committed Christian, has received terrible abuse because of her beliefs – she has even been told that Christian beliefs are incompatible with government in 21st Century Scotland. Persecution in the West is more subtle. A creeping erosion of Christian values. Verbal and societal attacks on individuals who dare to speak out a defence of their faith are becoming increasingly common. Globally, Christian persecution is increasing, but we shouldn’t be surprised about this because Jesus Himself warned about such things – we read in Matthew what He said to His disciples about the end times. Matthew 24:9-10 reads, “Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other”. Sound familiar?

But – thankfully, there is always a “but” – Paul reassured his readers with the truth that one day they will be with God in Glory. From the perspective of eternity, the time spent on Planet Earth is insignificant. A mere blip, a microcosm of time, too small to register. We don’t really know the extent of God’s glory. We can guess that it will be wonderful and amazing, even more so when we think that we too will share in it. We do know, though, that we cannot see God’s glory in this life. Moses was prevented from seeing even a glimpse of God’s face, as we read in Exodus 33, “But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.” The Lord continued, “Look, stand near me on this rock. As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen”” (Exodus 33:20-23).

We pilgrims must stay the course. We must not give up, no matter how much opposition and abuse we receive. In an age when many are falling away from the faith, it is even more important that we stand firm, on the Rock that is the Lord. 

Dear Father God. We know the You are the only dependable foundation in a world that is shaking. We cling to the Rock – there is no other way. Amen.