H. Michael Brewer
Crescent Springs Presbyterian
21 March 2004
THE CORNERSTONE
1 Peter 2:4-8
The lamb of God.
The good shepherd.
The bread of life.
The light of the world.
These are comforting and familiar ways to think of Jesus, well grounded in the Bible and often
rehearsed in sermons and hymns. However, one of the most prominent biblical symbols for Jesus is
seldom mentioned in church, and I’ve never seen it depicted in stained glass or classical art. This
particular symbol is a carpenter’s term deeply embedded in Old Testament prophecies of the coming
messiah, a visible representation Jesus intentionally adopted in order to explain his own ministry.
“Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the scriptures: “The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes”’?” (Matthew
21:42 NRSV).
No fewer than seven times the writers of the New Testament refer to Jesus as a building stone,
more specifically a cornerstone. When the Old Testament writers speak of the “cornerstone” they use
a Hebrew term that literally means “stone of turning.” The Hebrew writers are thinking of the
important block laid at the point where a rank of stones “turns” the corner and begins a new wall.
What is not clear in Hebrew is whether this “stone of turning” is located at the base of the walls or at
the top. In English when we are referring to a foundation stone at the juncture between two walls, we
call that a cornerstone. When we are pointing to the top stone that ties two walls together and
completes the block laying, that is called a capstone. In biblical times the turning-stone carried both
meanings.
When New Testament writers, quoting the Old Testament, call Jesus the cornerstone they
probably have both of those ideas in mind. He is both the cornerstone—the beginning of the work—
and he is also the capstone—the completion of the work. All things begin in Christ, and in Christ all
things find their fulfillment and completion.
When Christ offers himself as our cornerstone, he is saying, “What begins with me, begins well. If
you ignore me, never taking into account my guidance and calling, your life will surely be out of kilter.
However, if you will put me at the beginning of your relationships, at the threshold of your family life,
at the start of your career deliberations, at the head of your goals and dreams, you will have begun
building a life both sound and secure.”
Yet a good beginning must be followed by the good work that leads to a good ending. Life in
Christ implies growth and progress. No one lays a cornerstone and stops. The Letter to the Hebrews
hints at God’s impatience with those who begin a good work in Christ but never follow through.
Addressing Christians who have settled into a comfortable rut, the writer calls for them to resume
building lives that will glorify Christ.
“Therefore let us go on toward perfection, leaving behind the basic teaching about Christ, and not
laying again the foundation: repentance from dead works and faith toward God, instruction about
baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment,” (Hebrews 6:1-2
NRSV).
No one would question that repentance, faith and resurrection are foundational beliefs for any
Christian, but the recipients of this letter have gotten no further than these basic beliefs. They’ve laid a
foundation and taken a permanent rest-break. Rather than moving on, these immature Christians want
to go back and rebuild their foundation. Instead of resting on their past effort, the writer urges them to
make progress toward perfection. In Greek the word perfection suggests completion, something that
is fully finished. In essence the writer says, “You’ve started with a good, solid foundation in Christ.
For heaven’s sake, now build something on it!”
Okay, we’ve said a Christian must make a good beginning in Christ, and a Christian must build
something on Christ, and a Christian must give the foremost honor and trust and faith to Christ. Let’s
be clear. A building has four corners, but there is only one cornerstone. One stone must be laid first,
one stone must be the measure and guide for all the rest. If not, we end up with a house divided
against itself.
Do you remember the story in which Jesus made that statement about a house divided against
itself? Jesus was accused of casting out demons by using the power of the devil. His enemies said that
Jesus was able to cast out evil spirits because he was himself in league with the devil. Jesus defends
himself by pointing out the inherent silliness of suggesting that Satan would work against his own
purposes by helping Jesus exorcise his demonic servants.
“How can Satan cast out Satan?” Jesus asks. “If a house is divided against itself, that house will
not be able to stand,” (Mark 3:23-25 NRSV).
While traveling in Israel some years ago, I saw a house divided against itself, the kind of thing
Jesus must have had in mind. The house had been built of unshaped fieldstones cemented together by
mud mortar. Such houses are normally quite durable in sun-baked Israel. However, near one corner,
a huge crack ran through the front wall from the roof to the ground. At the top of the wall the crack
was nearly large enough for me to poke my head through. One outside wall leaned at a perilous angle.
Instead of tying every wall together around the cornerstone, the builder had let the walls compete
with one another. The result was disaster. The house was doomed. Rather than wait for the roof to
collapse or the walls to topple, the owners had wisely abandoned their tottering home. A house so
seriously self-divided couldn’t be salvaged, only torn down. In time, gravity would provide the
demolition.
At the same time that Jesus uses this carpentry parable to defend himself from his accusers, he
also offers us a sobering lesson about human existence. When a single life is divided by mixed
loyalties and conflicting values, tension cracks are inevitable. In the long run, such a life is liable to
collapse under its own weight. Consider these biblical warnings about the heart divided against itself.
“How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if
Baal, then follow him,” (1 Kings 18:21 NRSV).
“No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be
devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth,” (Luke 16:13 NRSV).
“No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God,” (Luke 9:62
NRSV).
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or
daughter more than me is not worthy of me…” (Matthew 10:37 NRSV).
“You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of
the Lord and the table of demons,” (1 Corinthians 10:21 NRSV).
The Letter of James refers to the spiritually divided life as a condition of double-mindedness. The
double-minded Christian vacillates between God and the devil, wrestling with mixed motives and
contradictory callings. To anyone poised painfully upon the horns of this dilemma, James gives blunt,
practical advice.
“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded,” (James 4:7-8).
Actually applying James’ advice means turning to Jesus. Where else can sinners be outwardly
cleansed and inwardly purified except in the redeeming love of Christ? How else shall we draw near
to God except through the one who said, “No one comes to Father but by me”? James points double-
minded disciples toward Jesus Christ who ties our spiritual house together and consolidates every
aspect of life under his gracious reign. The cure for a divided life is complete submission to Christ the
cornerstone and capstone.
The Jewish rabbis have passed on a parable about the building of the Jerusalem Temple.
According to the story one stone kept being passed over in the construction of the Temple. One
mason after another picked up this particular stone, consider it for a place in this wall or that one and
then would toss it aside as not quite right. Finally the time came to finish the walls of the Temple and
the workers searched everywhere for the perfect capstone to complete the work, to crown the
corner and tie the walls together. Eventually they returned to the stone that had been rejected again
and again and discovered that it was perfect to crown the Temple and to hold the whole construction
together.
The rabbis said this was the story behind the lines in Psalm 118: “The stone that the builders
rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes,”
(Psalm 118:22-23 NRSV). And this is the very verse with which Jesus describes his own ministry.
I remember seeing a house in Scotland built on a steep hillside. One corner of the foundation is a
huge boulder deeply embedded in the rocky soil, a boulder that was there long before the house was
built. Some Scottish crofter came to build on that hillside generations ago and he had to decide what
to do about that boulder. He couldn’t ignore it. He didn’t want to dig it up and move it out of his way.
He didn’t want to pick another site for his house. So he could built on that rock. He made it the
cornerstone.
Jesus confronts us with the same choice. Here’s this great rock before us. There’s no ignoring it,
no getting around it because this is the rock God has chosen for our salvation. Either we accept this
rock or we reject it as not quite right for us. Either we trip over this Jesus or we build on him. That’s
the choice God gives us. To stumble or to build. If you haven’t already decided, what choice have
you made? And if you have decided on Jesus, then what are you building?
Soli Deo Gloria!