Masons, Money, and Men
"You are... members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord." -Ephesians 2:19-21
At first glance, this verse is very comforting, telling us that we are a part of the house of God. For those who grew up in church, it might bring forth images of "a big, big table with lots and lots of food" or "a big, big yard where we can play football." But other than being the inspiration for a peppy song and a comfort, we may not notice much else.
However, this verse holds a truth that is dangerous to some of our ways of life. You see, we have all built our houses, brick-by-brick, with our own two hands. Each wall is a well-crafted accomplishment, one any fine mason would be proud of. Even the foundation is steady... we have been able to recite the teachings of the apostles and prophets since bible school age.
In fact, our home is quite near perfect. Still, though, we can't help but feel as though there is just one thing missing. We are so confident that we are even able to admit this, asking around to see if anyone can identify what we need. It's not long before we realize... we have forgotten the cornerstone. We have tried to make Christ a part of our life, but he is not the basis of it.
The problem with the cornerstone is, it can't be stuck in after the entire house is built. In fact, in order to ensure it serves its purposes, the entire house must be torn down and then rebuilt around the cornerstone. Many of us will go away sad when we learn this is what we must do. Tearing down the lives we have worked so hard to build for ourselves and starting over in the light of our newfound Savior is just too much to ask. We would much prefer a God who can simply be placed anywhere in lives... who will fit nicely into a box, who is just a simple brick. But only with Christ as the cornerstone will our house be able to stand.
"A man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, 'Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?... All these [commandments] I have kept since my youth.' And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, 'You lack one thing: go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.' Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." -Mark 10: 17, 20-22
At first glance, this verse is very comforting, telling us that we are a part of the house of God. For those who grew up in church, it might bring forth images of "a big, big table with lots and lots of food" or "a big, big yard where we can play football." But other than being the inspiration for a peppy song and a comfort, we may not notice much else.
However, this verse holds a truth that is dangerous to some of our ways of life. You see, we have all built our houses, brick-by-brick, with our own two hands. Each wall is a well-crafted accomplishment, one any fine mason would be proud of. Even the foundation is steady... we have been able to recite the teachings of the apostles and prophets since bible school age.
In fact, our home is quite near perfect. Still, though, we can't help but feel as though there is just one thing missing. We are so confident that we are even able to admit this, asking around to see if anyone can identify what we need. It's not long before we realize... we have forgotten the cornerstone. We have tried to make Christ a part of our life, but he is not the basis of it.
The problem with the cornerstone is, it can't be stuck in after the entire house is built. In fact, in order to ensure it serves its purposes, the entire house must be torn down and then rebuilt around the cornerstone. Many of us will go away sad when we learn this is what we must do. Tearing down the lives we have worked so hard to build for ourselves and starting over in the light of our newfound Savior is just too much to ask. We would much prefer a God who can simply be placed anywhere in lives... who will fit nicely into a box, who is just a simple brick. But only with Christ as the cornerstone will our house be able to stand.
"A man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, 'Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?... All these [commandments] I have kept since my youth.' And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, 'You lack one thing: go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.' Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." -Mark 10: 17, 20-22
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