We are a people well-acquainted with worry. Whether it is the anxiety of a missed deadline or the possibly of a life-altering crisis, we often live as if we are still bound in the linens of the tomb.
But on this side of the Resurrection, Jesus speaks into our locked rooms and our troubled hearts with a command that is also a promise: “Do not let your hearts be troubled”. He isn’t asking us to ignore reality; he is inviting us into a new relationship of trust.
The Architecture of Home (John 14:1-14) In John’s Gospel, Jesus is preparing his disciples for his departure. They are afraid of being left as orphans. But Jesus redefines “away.” He tells them that his going is for their benefit—to prepare a place for them in his Father’s house, where there are “many dwelling places”.
Thomas, ever the seeker of tangible evidence, asks the question we all feel: “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”.
Jesus responds with one of the most profound “I Am” statements: “I am the way and the truth and the life”. He is telling them—and us—that his presence is not a destination we reach, but a reality we inhabit. He is the “open door” that no Inquisition can ever truly close. To see Him is to see the Father; to know Him is to have access to the very heart of the universe.
The Living Stones (1 Peter 2:2-10) If Jesus is the “Way,” Peter describes what we become as we walk it. He calls us to “crave pure spiritual milk” so that we may grow up in our salvation. This is the “Abundant Life”not a static state, but a constant “unbinding” and growing.
Peter uses the imagery of a building, but not one made of cold bricks. He calls Jesus the “Living Stone,” rejected by humans but chosen by God. And then he says something staggering: You, too, are living stones.
We are being built into a spiritual house. We are a “chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation”. We are no longer defined by our “disciplinary scores” or our “performance metrics”. We are defined by the fact that we have been called “out of darkness into his wonderful light”. We were once “not a people,” but now we are “the people of God”.
The Vision in the Crisis (Acts 7:55-60) But what happens when the “wonderful light” feels eclipsed by the “terrible contradictions” of life? . We see this in the story of Stephen. As he stands before those who would silence him, he doesn’t see the stones being gathered; he sees the glory of God.
Stephen looks up and sees Jesus—not sitting, but standing at the right hand of God. This is the Savior who “stands up” for us when we are at our lowest point. Even as Stephen is being struck down, he echoes the words of Jesus on the cross: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”.
This is the ultimate evidence of “walking in newness of life”. Stephen’s heart wasn’t troubled by the “thief” who comes to kill and destroy; it was filled by the Shepherd who had already conquered the grave.
The message of this week is a reminder that Jesus’ physical absence is replaced by His spiritual “Real Presence”.
- He is with us in the “Breaking of the Bread,” where hospitality turns strangers into family.
- He is with us in the “Pooling and Allocating” of our resources, as we chip in to support the “vibrant neighborhood” through the Olive Branch Community of Hope.
Don’t worry. The “Resident Foreigner” who walked to Emmaus is the same “Living Stone” who anchors our lives today. He has prepared a place for you—not just in the “by and by,” but in the “here and now.”
Step through the door of faith. Leave your “grave clothes” of worry at the entrance. You are a chosen stone, a member of the royal priesthood, and a citizen of a kingdom that cannot be shaken. He was with you in the tomb, He is with you at the table, and He will be with you until the end of the age.