The Eighteenth Sunday
after Trinity.
The Collect.
|
L
|
ORD, we beseech
thee, grant thy people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the
flesh, and the devil; and with pure hearts and minds to follow thee, the only
God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
19.In that day shall there be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the
land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the Lord. 20.And it
shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the Lord of hosts in the land of
Egypt: for they shall cry unto the Lord because of the oppressors, and he shall
send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them. (Isaiah 19:19-20)
22.The Stone which the builders refused is become the
head stone of the corner. 23.This is the Lord'S doing; it is marvellous
in our eyes. (Psalms
118:22-23)
16.Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation
a Stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he
that believeth shall not make haste. (Isaiah 28:16)
42.Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders
rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing,
and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43.Therefore say I unto you, The
kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth
the fruits thereof. 44. And
whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall
fall, it will grind him to powder. (Matthew 21:42)
11.This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is
become the head of the corner.
(Acts 4:11)
4.To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but
chosen of God, and precious, 5.Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a
spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices,
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 6.Wherefore also it is
contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect,
precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. 7.Unto you therefore which believe he is
precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders
disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 8. And a stone
of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word,
being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. (1 Peter 2:4- 8 )
The
many references, and there are more references than here presented, of the
Great Stone which the Builders rejected, may seem to us as dark and mysterious
sayings; but the Lord writes nothing in His Book that is not important for us
to know and understand. It is certain that all cannot be comprehended by any
man at once, but God's perfect will is being revealed over time as the
unfolding of the tender pedals of a beautiful rose. Slowly, the blossom takes
form and shape – then we comprehend the full nature and beauty – all in its own
time. I have read the writings of Sir Piazzi Smyth, Astronomer Royal of Scotland
in the late 19th century, the Rev. Dr. Joseph Seiss, and
George Riffert in which they attempt to make an allegorical connection of the
Great Pyramid at Giza with that Stone to which Christ compares Himself. Though
those writings are intriguing, we are not told enough in Scripture to draw a
direct connection; however, there are lessons that may be learned from that
great structure that have application to what the Scriptures tell us.
The
Great Pyramid at Giza is the largest manmade structure extant. It is
comprised of five perfectly symmetrical sides, and it is the only type of
structure that requires a CHIEF Cornerstone as its CAPSTONE. It is told by some
who study Heraldry that the Great Pyramid is depicted on the obverse side of
the Great Seal of the United States. If so, the All-Seeing Eye would represent
Christ who is the Chief Cornerstone of the Nation, and of the Kingdom of
Heaven. The Great Pyramid at Giza is the only pyramid in Egypt that has no
capstone. The Body of Christ, too, is incomplete until the Chief
Cornerstone is laid at its top. Though we may stumble at Christ in our coming
to Him for our salvation, we shall be crushed to dust if we know Him not at His
second coming. There is a legend regarding the Great Pyramid, I do not know if
true, that the builders stumbled and cursed the Capstone at its base because it
was always in their way. When the structure was nearing completion, they
suddenly realized that this Stone of Stumbling was the Chief Cornerstone, but
too late to heft it to the top. The historian, Josephus, makes a dim reference
to the Great Pyramid as a Pillar of Stone in Egypt.
In
that day shall there be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt,
and a pillar at the border thereof to the Lord (Isaiah 19:19) The
Lord did not relate this fact without reason. The Great Pyramid uniquely meets
both these stipulations of Isaiah. It is literally in the midst of the land of
Egypt. If one should construct an arc through the point where the Fertile Crescent
empties into the Mediterranean, he will find that the radius of that arc
centers precisely on Giza; moreover, the Great Pyramid is located on the border
of lower and Upper Egypt at some point below the cataracts of the Nile River.
There are far more astonishing mysteries of the Great Pyramid, but such is
beyond the scope of this devotion.
Whether symbolized in the Great Pyramid, or solely in reference to the Kingdom
of Heaven, Christ is indeed represented as the Chief Cornerstone that the
Builders (Jewish leaders) rejected. He was accounted for no value to them in
the building of THEIR building. Christ is always in the way of those who seek
to build without Him. Paul stumbled on that Stone. Nicodemus stumbled on that
Stone. Many others stumbled upon Christ and suffered the indignity of
recognizing their horrid sins, but were saved by the very Stone upon which they
stumbled. Others, such as Judas, Caiaphas, Herod, and others are crushed at the
Coming of that Great Stone of Offense in the latter days.
The
Chief Cornerstone, or Capstone, of a building completes the symmetry and
structure of the building at its highest point much like a keystone upholds the
walls of the archway. Christ is the completion and perfection of the Body of
Christ – the Church. He is the Head, and we are the Body. But a Body without a
Head has no life. The life that the Body receives is directed by the Head (the
will of God in Christ). We as the subordinate structure find our unity in the
Chief Cornerstone. We find that, absent the Chief Cornerstone, the outer walls
of the House no longer have a common point of union.
The
Chief Cornerstone bears the greatest stress and burden of the structure. It is
the first to receive the bolts of lightning of the world, and the stormy blasts
of the winters of persecution.
Though the chief and strongest stone of the building, the Chief Cornerstone is
also chief in beauty and symmetry. It graces the structure with its own imputed
beauty that cascades down upon the lesser stones of the sides thereof. It is
the first stone seen from a distance, and the last seen when departing. When
others look upon the people of God, the first thing they should witness is
Christ as their governing Sovereign. When they depart from us, they should
remember the beauty of our countenance imbued by the Lord our God.
In
all of these particulars, Christ is like unto a chief cornerstone, but wherein
does our Lord differ there from? The chief cornerstones of manmade structures
are, like the Great Pyramid, lifeless carvings of stone. They can neither move
nor will to do good. Being made by the hands of men, they are subordinate to
those hands. But Christ is a Living Stone that imparts life and Will to
righteousness in His people whom He makes Lively Stones. We have been granted
liberty and authority in Christ as His Lively Stones.
Chief cornerstones of the world may erode, become dislodged, or fall from their
high position; but Christ, as our Chief Cornerstone, cannot be shaken or moved.
His foundation is planted on High, and His strength of location is
unassailable. He is always there, and shall always BE there for us. His depends
not upon the support of an earthly foundation, but an heavenly one.
Chief cornerstones of earthly buildings both give and receive strength from
other stones of the structure, but Christ only GIVES strength and needs no
strength from His lively stones.
Chief cornerstones of buildings on earth rarely are composed of precious
diamond, ruby, or sapphire; but our Chief Cornerstone is a Precious Stone of
immeasurable value. He is not comprised of our own substance, but is Holy and
Divine. Rather than taking our nature upon Himself, He empowers us to take upon
ourselves HIS nature. What a precious Stone indeed! Are you a chip of stone off
the Ancient Rock of Christ, or a crumbling stone of clay?
