Memorial Moment: Cry Out, You Stones!

Numbers 20:2-13

Now there was no water for the congregation. And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. And the people quarreled with Moses and said, "Would that we had perished when our brothers perished before the LORD! Why have you brought the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle? And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink."

Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. And the glory of the LORD appeared to them, and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle." And Moses took the staff from before the LORD, as he commanded him. Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, "Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?" And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock.

And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them." These are the waters of Meribah, where the people of Israel quarreled with the LORD, and through them he showed himself holy. (ESV)

Cry Out, You Stones!

Wednesday of Lent 2

27 February 2013

My family and I went to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston to see an exhibition of French Impressionist paintings. While there, I again wandered through the museum's collection of ancient Roman sculpture. The marble, which provided the medium for the sculpture, though once beautiful and polished at the hands of master artisans, is now pitted by time and often defaced by violence and carelessness. The stone, which speaks of the greatness that was Rome, now tells the story of a fallen empire left in marble dust as though an alabaster reminder of God's judgment. Broken stones tell a story.

Cyril of Jerusalem taught among the broken stones that were Jerusalem in the fourth century A.D. His eager students called for him to show them the tomb in which the body of their crucified Lord had been laid. Standing among fragments pitted by time and defaced by violence and carelessness the Bishop pointed them to the stone who is Christ. He referred to the immovable rock of God's Word. Remarkably, while standing near Golgotha, he never pointed to this or that tomb, saying, "Here is the place where our beloved Lord was laid." Instead, this consummate teacher of the gospel of Christ pointed His students to something much more certain than archaeology: God's speaking in Christ and in Scripture. Luther says that the Bible is the manger in which Christ is found, Scripture is likewise the tomb in which the body of Christ was laid and from which He rose. It isn't as though the stones themselves are unimportant, of course, for the Christian religion stands and falls on the empty tomb. For if the sepulcher was not vacant when Peter peered into its newly carved entrance, then what Christ suffers on the cross is of no value for us. But there is no way the stones in fourth century Jerusalem, (not to mention modern Jerusalem!) can speak to us. Only the Rock Himself can tell us what the stones mean.

The shattered rocks mean that the tombs cannot hold those who are raised in Christ. For in a foretaste of the last day those who awaited the kingdom of the Messiah were found to be raised and walking about the city on Easter Sunday. The dead live. The Rock of our salvation was found running rampant among the dead. For death could not check His freeing those who had been held in bondage to their fear of death (Heb 2:14). He roams free among the dead transferring His life to them. The Cornerstone who is Christ simply pushes over the stone sealing death. It falls with a crushing crash upon the head of the serpent slithering among the fragments of lifeless and silent stone seeking prey more easily swallowed than the Lord of life. The Crucified kills death and gives life life. How then could we ever be ashamed of Him? The stones are silent until the Crucified gives them life (Lk 19:40). This is how we who are stones ossified by sin, are able to cry out to acclaim Him.

Cyril of Jerusalem

"The Savior endured suffering, 'and made peace through the blood of his cross for all things, whether on earth or in heaven' (Col 1:20). For we were enemies of God through sin, and God had appointed the sinner to die. Therefore, one of two things needed to happen; either that God, in His truth, should destroy all men, or that, in His loving kindness, He should cancel the sentence. But behold the wisdom of God. He preserved both the truth of His sentence, and the exercise of His loving kindness. Christ took our sins. 'He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness' (1Pt 2:24). Of no small account was He who died for us. He was not a literal sheep. He was not a mere man. He was more than an angel. He was God made man. The transgression of sinners was not as great as the righteousness of Him who died for them. The sin that we committed was not as great as the righteousness which He worked who laid down His life for us; who laid it down when He pleased, and took it up again when He pleased. Don't you know that He did not lay down His life by violence, nor yield up His spirit against His will? He cried to the Father, saying, '"Father, into your hands I commit my spirit" (Lk 23:46); I commit it, that I may take it again.' And having said these things, 'He yielded up his spirit' (Mt 27:50); but not for any long time, for He quickly rose again from the dead.

"The sun was darkened, because of 'the Sun of Righteousness' (Mal 4:2). Rocks were rent, because of the spiritual Rock (1Co 10:4). Tombs were opened, and the dead rose, because of Him who was 'let loose among the dead' (Ps 88:5); 'He set prisoners free from the waterless pit' (Zec 9:11). Be not then ashamed of the Crucified, but boldly say, 'He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, and with His stripes we are healed' (Is 53:4-5). Let us not be unthankful to our Benefactor. And again; 'He was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people. And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death' (Is 53:8-9). Therefore Paul says plainly, 'that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures' (1Co 15:3-4).

"But we seek to know clearly where He has been buried. Is His tomb made with hands? Is it, like the tombs of kings, raised above the ground? Is the sepulcher made of stones joined together? And what is laid upon it? Tell us, O prophets, the exact truth concerning His tomb also, where He is laid, and where we shall seek Him? And they say, 'Look into the solid rock which you have hewn (Is 51:1). Look in and behold.' You have in the Gospels in a sepulcher hewn in stone, which was hewn out of a rock (Mt 27:60; Mk 15:46; Lk 23:50). And what happens next? What kind of door does the sepulcher have? Again another prophet says, 'They cut off My life in a pit (Jer 18:20), and cast a stone upon Me. I, who am the Chief "cornerstone, chosen and precious" (1Pt 2:6), lie for a little time within a stone, I who am a stone of stumbling to the Jews and of salvation to those who believe.' The tree of life, therefore was planted in the earth, that the earth which had been cursed might enjoy the blessing, and that the dead might be released.

"Let us not then be ashamed to confess the Crucified. Let the cross be our seal made with boldness by our fingers on our brow, and on everything; over the bread we eat, and the cups we drink; in our comings in, and goings out; before our sleep, when we lie down and when we rise up; when we are in the way, and when we are still. Great is that preservative; it is priceless for the sake of the poor; without toil for the sick; since also its grace is from God. It is the sign of the faithful, and the dread of devils: for He 'put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him' (Col 2:15). For when they see the cross they are reminded of the Crucified; they are afraid of Him, who broke the heads of the dragon (Ps 74:13). Despise not the seal, because of the freeness of the gift. But for this reason honor your Benefactor."

Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, 13:33-36

Prayer

Lord Christ, Rock of our salvation, grant that my ossified heart be converted unto life, might confess You faithfully as the crucified Lord who rose. Preserve me from being talked back into the lie of death through Satan's powerful spokesmen. Preach me back among the shattered fragments of death's dominion that I might believe that my life is secure in Your crucifixion and resurrection. Amen.

For Christians who are being persecuted by Islam, that they would confess the love of Christ while being sheltered under the cross and that we might not forget about their plight

For the faculty of Memorial Lutheran School, that they might be built up in their calling as they put into practice what they believe

For those who mourn the passing of Vanita Kamprath, that they would mourn as those who have hope in the resurrection of the flesh and the life of the world to come

Art: GRÜNEWALD, Matthias Isenheim Altarpiece (1515)