April 6, 2008

1 Peter 1:17-23
“Cornerstones”

Sign on subway wall: "Life is one contradiction after another." Underneath sign is written: "No, it's not."

Sometimes the reality of a situation contradicts the intended outcome.

It has been said that the perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing and the lawn mower is broken.

But unfortunately, all too often, the mower works, and another perfectly good ‘God thing’ is ruined by a ‘human thing.’

In a Frank and Ernest cartoon: The boss says, “I was a cornerstone of this organization, and then I found out they were cutting corners."

Cornerstones can be cut, they can be shaken, they can crumble – and sometimes, when they are ineffective, they can even be replaced. This is what Peter calls us to do when Jesus is not the cornerstone – make him the cornerstone, and central in one’s life.

Sometimes though, the only time we recognize Jesus as being here, with us, is in the breaking of the bread, as reported by the two disciples in today’s gospel story. Until then he goes unrecognized. There can be so many things that keep us from seeing him, walking right beside us along life’s journey. And then, in the ‘breaking of the bread,’ as we will do today, we realize he has been here – in the simplest of things - all along.

With that discovery though comes a responsibility or obligation. Peter says it’s not just a matter of saying we believe in God, or trusting in God, or claiming to be God’s children or God’s church. It’s interesting Peter reminds his readers that despite what some of them may have thought - and what many may think today - God doesn’t play favorites. God’s expectations are the same for all of us.

No one is exempt. Didn’t Jesus come to save all of us? His precious blood shed for everyone? So, why would it be any different for some of us? We are all to do the same things. We are all to honor God. We are to have faith in God as Jesus has taught us. We are to put our faith and trust in God. We are to obey the truth. And we are to love each other (totally and completely).

So, how do we do that? How do we, as a community of faith, honor God? How do we become as confident in God as Jesus? When everything was falling apart and going ‘south’ for Jesus, he continued to go to the Father. How do we learn to trust God like that? Jesus loved the ones who crucified him as well. How do we do what Jesus has taught us? And how do we possibly love others like God would have us? As Iowa singer/songwriter Susan Werner asks in her song “Forgiveness”:
“How do you love those who never will love you
Who are happy to shove you out in front of the train.”

All those things God expects of us. They’re not easy, are they? It would be a lot better if we were excused from some things – after all, didn’t Jesus take care of everything for us? We shouldn’t be held accountable for things that are so hard to do. It’s awfully hard trusting someone else. I would much rather do things myself. How do you love some people anyway?

Werner suggests pretty much what Peter said,
“How do you love those who never will love you
I think only God knows and he is not taking sides”

It seems impossible, sometimes, all the things God asks us to do. Wouldn’t it be easier to paint the church or go to work or mow the lawn or provide food for a dinner or go dancing or do my chores or play with the grandkids or even give money? Those kinds of things we can do, but how are we going to ever trust and love the way God wants?

And in conclusion, Werner sings,
“I hope one day he shows us how we can love those
Who never will love us but who still we must love”

“How do you love those?” How do we do all the other things God wants us to do, anyway? It’s a real dilemma until we realize...

We have been shown, haven’t we – in the breaking of the bread. It’s just that we haven’t recognized him along the way until then. Somehow we have been kept from it. Maybe it’s been in living a lifestyle rather than investing ourselves in a life-substance. Just think how much of our energy, time, and money goes into the ‘way we live’ – our lifestyle, rather than into ‘why we live’ – our life-substance?

Where is it we find our satisfaction? What do we take pride and comfort in? What would we rather do? And where do we spend most of our money, anyway? Is it in those seemingly difficult things God calls us to do, or is it in something else? Peter says God has no favorites. No one gets a pass. All are on equal ground. The expectation is the same for us all. Are our lifestyles more important than our life-substance?

When do we recognize Jesus in our walk; when do we truly follow and put him in charge; when does Jesus become Lord? Maybe it’s when we invest in the life-substance Jesus offers rather than in a lifestyle?

Peter reminds the Gentile Christians, struggling to form a community of faith, that they have been "ransomed" from the ineffective and meaningless lifestyles of their ancestors through the gift of Christ's "precious blood."

You and I are offered the same way out from our unsuccessful attempts at creating meaning and "success" in our lives, both as individuals and as a church. Jesus' gift of new life is the answer. Jesus offers to lead and will empower those who give up control and trust God, those who will make Jesus their life-substance and those who will live life with Jesus as the cornerstone.