Five Minutes Daily with Luther - June 24

(Reprinted with permission from Five Minutes Daily with Luther: Daily Lessons from the Writings of Martin Luther, by John Theodore Mueller.)

And coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of God. 1 Peter 2:4.

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And coming to Him as to a living stone. Here he falls back again upon the Scripture, and quotes the prophet Isaiah, where he also says, chapter 28: “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone,’” etc. This passage Paul has also quoted, and it is an important passage of Scripture, for Christ is the precious Cornerstone which God has laid, on which we must be built. Christ, the living stone, bears up the whole building; and it is called the building, in order that we, bound one to another, may set our confidence and security on Him. Rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of God. Here he brings forward a passage of the prophet David, in (Ps 118:22-23):“The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone. This is the LORD'S doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.” So also Peter, in (Acts 4), where he says: “He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone.” You are builders, he says: for they taught the people, went about with great speeches, laid down many laws, but made mere work-saints and hypocrites. Therefore Peter says, This is the corner stone which indeed was rejected of men, upon which you must be built by faith. This is now wonderful in our eyes, as the prophet says; it seems strange to us, and where the Spirit does not teach it, it is utterly incomprehensible. Therefore he says, in God’s eyes the stone is chosen, and an extremely precious stone; it is also of great importance that it takes away death, satisfies for sin, and rescues from hell, and besides all of that, it freely bestows heaven.

Let every kindred, every tribe,
On this terrestrial ball
To Him all majesty ascribe
And crown Him Lord of all!