Context: This follows Peter's advice to obey the Word and to love each other deeply, from the heart.
Text:
1Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
4As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5you 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. 6For 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."[a] 7Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
"The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone,[b]"[c] 8and,
"A stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall."[d] They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
9But 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. 10Once 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.
11Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. (NIV)
Footnotes:
1 Peter 2:6 Isaiah 28:16
1 Peter 2:7 Or cornerstone
1 Peter 2:7 Psalm 118:22
1 Peter 2:8 Isaiah 8:14
taken from www.biblegateway.com
Have you ever been to an estate sale? We went to one this summer that was just amazing. I would never have believed that all that stuff could have fit into a single house. There had to be seven or eight sets of dishes alone...and all the accompanying serving dishes, flatware, glasses, etc. to literally feed an army. There was hardly any room to walk. I can't imagine where the homeowners had kept everything (and I verified that it was just from one household). The relatives who were running the sale had priced every single piece. Some items were really great deals.
To the woman who had owned all these things, each item was a treasure and she could have probably told you where it was purchased and how it had served her family. Many of her beautiful crystal serving pieces were being sold for a dollar or two. I'm sure some were worth well over $100 if you knew what you were looking for. When faced with all that stuff, the family had to guess at its worth and they priced it so little would be left at the end of the day.
Our faith is like those crystal dishes. To many who pass by it may be something to ignore, something unwanted or unneeded. But we know what Christ gave up so we could have this faith, and we understand its eternal value. Often, however, it gets lost among the daily trappings of our life. When your life is over, will others recognize the value of your faith, or will they see it as just another 'thing' that cluttered up your life?
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