1 Peter 2:1-10 (NRSV)
Read 1 Peter 2:1-10 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 2Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. Verse 2Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation- Verse 3if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Verse 4Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and Verse 5like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Verse 6For it stands in scripture: "See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." Verse 7To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner," Verse 8and "A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. Verse 9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Verse 10Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Devotion
During Holy Week, it is a good reminder that each of us is baptized into Jesus to be “a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” As the baptized people of God, we have the office of being a “chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people.” God calls us to this office so we might proclaim the mighty acts of God. All this flows out of our tasting that the Lord is good and that the Lord has had mercy on us.
Prayer
Merciful God, you have made Jesus the cornerstone of the church. Build us into Jesus that, as living stones, your Spirit will make our churches spiritual houses where we experience your gracious mercy. Amen.