https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/050723.cfm
I quote:
Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion,
a cornerstone, chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame
We know God through many names, including The Rock of Ages alluded too in Isaiah 26:4...
Trust in the Lord for ever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.
Jesus and Joseph also worked with stone for Nazareth was only three miles from the town of Zippori, or Sepphoris as it was called at the time. During the first century Zippori was developing at a rapid pace under the rule of Herod Antipas and would eventually be called “The jewel of all Galilee” by the historian Josephus. Herod’s massive project in Zippori would have required the help of every available and skilled tekton in the surrounding vicinity. Jesus, and Joseph were skilled craftsmen working with what ever materials were available to build a palace for Herod.
When defending himself before Jewish religious leaders, Simon Peter borrows from the Old Testament (Psalm 118:22) “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” ~ Acts 4:11–12
When we surrrender our life into the care of Our Saviour, we will gradually sense the loving care of a master craftsman embracing us, as He shapes us into the most beloved child of The Father.
Isaiah provides us with a little insight into how God describes us as a clay vessel, shaped by The Father.
Isaiah writes, “O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand” ~ Isaiah 64:8.
Paul of Tarsus wrote, “But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is moulded say to its moulder, “Why have you made me like this” ~ Romans 9:20
Thus, we may understand that Our Father grants us the strength, forbearance, resilience, and confidence that we need to shepherd us through our life's journey of self discovery.
Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings
but chosen and precious in the sight of God,
and, like living stones,
let yourselves be built into a spiritual house
end
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