You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.....

1 Peter 2.4-10   NRSV       courtesy of http://www.biblestudytools/. com

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

4 As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him-- 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone, " 8 and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message--which is also what they were destined for. 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

As rare as it is, I expect to be preaching on the1 Peter text this Sunday, May 22nd.  There is something powerful about these words of Peter

 "9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. "

Peter is writing to believers who are under persecution.  Of course, most of the believers were under persecution during the years that our scriptures were written, but it is too easy to forget this very important context.  There is an enormous difference between living in comfort and relative safety (as we do in America) and living at a time when your beliefs could land you in front of a judge who had little to restrain his response. Believing was very much a life and death situation for these people.

And therefore, what they needed to hear was a word about the power of God and the everlasting love of God.  As any good preacher would do, Peter looks at their sorrows and brokenness, their fear and confusion and speaks a work that will help them cling to Jesus and give purpose to their lives.  Peter calls them to live holy lives as they await Jesus' return.

Perhaps we are too distant from the original message to fully comprehend the expectation of Jesus' imminent return and the confusion that must have been present when persecution rained down on believers' heads.  Certainly we face difficulties, but not the constant threat of discovery and imprisonment for professing our beliefs.  Our context is very different.

But Peter's words regarding holy living are critical to us as well.  In America we face the hostility of tolerance, apathy, and hedonism.  Instead of people who are expending all their energy to simply keep alive, we encounter folks who expend all their energy trying to make their lives mean something more than just today's events.  We live among people who equate sacrifice, generosity, simply living, reconciliation and forgiveness as the marks of fanatics.  So it becomes easy for us to attempt to blend in with our neighbors by blurring the edges of who we are.

Which brings me back to Peter's wonderful words, based on promises that date back to Moses,  'you are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people.'  This is who we are and what we are called to do and be.  We are not to use these words to exclude those we have deemed 'other' for God will call whomever God wills into this 'people.'  We are to use these words to guide our living.

You may have just read a synopsis of Sunday's sermon, but such powerful words can always be repeated. 
Have a blessed day.