Caps And Corners

Brothers and sisters: You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22)

Jesus is called a stone, actually two kinds of important stones.  He is our capstone which is any of the stones making up the top layer of a wall thereby preventing the wall or entrance from collapsing.  It’s the finishing stone of a structure such as a gate.  He is also our cornerstone which is a ceremonial stone set at the corner of a building, joining two exterior walls, and often inscribed with the starting and completion dates of construction, the name of the architect and owner, and other details.

He clearly is both, and we are supposed to support the capstone.  We are the building blocks on which Jesus puts the finishing touches.  We are supposed to be his buildings – his churches – with stones at our corners inscribed with “Designed by Jesus Christ.”  

Paul tell us we are “no longer strangers and sojourners.”  Most of us would agree with him; however, do our actions testify to that conclusion?  Do we only give lip service?  If we are truly members of the household of God, do we dwell there “in the Spirit?”  

A capstone also is someone's greatest achievement.   To consistently believe in Jesus as our Christ is a great achievement.  Our greatest would be to not only believe, but to embrace and live by his teaching especially as they pertain to justice, compassion, and love.

Deacon David Pierce