Living Stones

One builder dey waka for one yard full of stones, dey look every block. E carry one up, turn am, and throw am aside. E no good reach. Years after, dem put dat same stone wey dem reject for di very corner of di building, and na im dey hold di whole building together.

Di apostle Peter, di fisherman wey become one of di closest friends of Jesus, dey write one letter. E write am to believers wey scatter for five regions of di place wey we dey call Turkey today: Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia. Peter call dem strangers, exiles, people wey dey live far from home. People dey mock plenty of dem and treat dem bad because dem dey follow Jesus. Dem no fit inside di society. Dem no get big temple, no fine buildings. And Peter write to tell dem who dem really be.

Peter start with Jesus. Come meet am, e talk, di living stone. People reject am, but God choose am, and e dey precious for God eye. Peter know how e be to dey close to man wey people reject. E see as dem arrest Jesus, mock am and crucify am. E even deny say e know am. And e see am alive again. Jesus na living stone, e dey alive, e no be dead block of rock. Then Peter turn to im readers. And una too, like living stones, God dey build una up to become spiritual house, to be holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices wey God go accept through Jesus Christ. Maybe dem no get temple. But dem dey become one. Every believer na stone for God building, and God imself na di builder.

Then Peter reach for di scriptures, three passages about stones. From di prophet Isaiah: See, I dey put for Zion one chief cornerstone, wey I choose, wey dey precious; and anybody wey believe am no go ever shame. Di cornerstone na di most important stone, di one wey di whole building dey line up with. From di Psalms: Di stone wey di builders reject, na im don become di head of di corner. Jesus imself don quote dat verse about imself. And from Isaiah again: one stone wey dey make people stumble, one rock wey dey make dem fall. Di same stone fit be strong foundation, or something wey people dey hit leg on top. E depend on whether dem trust am.

And now some of di most beautiful words for di whole letter come. But una be chosen generation, royal priesthood, holy nation, people wey belong to God by imself. Di old English Bible call dem peculiar people, and for dat old English, peculiar mean God very own, im special treasure. And why? So dat una go announce di praises of di one wey call una comot from darkness enter im wonderful light. Then Peter remind dem where dem come from. Before, una no be people, but now una be di people of God. Before, una never receive mercy, but now una don receive mercy. People wey dey feel like outsiders, wey scatter, wey nobody want, hear say dem belong to God family, chosen and loved.

Di temple wey Peter know for Jerusalem famous because of im stones. Di Gospel of Mark tell how one of di disciples once tell Jesus, look, Teacher, see how di stones big. Di Jewish historian Josephus describe di blocks of di temple as very very big, some about twenty-five cubits long, pass ten metres. Peter take dat picture of big stones, and e use am for ordinary people wey God dey build together.

Living stones. You go find Peter words for First Peter chapter two, verse four to ten. Jesus, di stone wey di builders reject, don become di cornerstone, and everybody wey trust am, God dey build am inside im house. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. If you be living stone for God house, who be di other stones wey dey beside you, and how you fit help hold dem up?