The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is probably the actual site of the crucifixion and the resurrection. In the time of Jesus it was a worked-out quarry. Part of it had been redeveloped into a garden, with some expensive tombs for sale. The other part, next to the main road, the Romans used for very public crucifixions – their way of asserting dominance over the Jewish population.
Turn right as soon as you enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and go up the stone steps to the elevated chapel of the crucifixion. There are lots of ‘pretty’ religious adornments: icons, silver covering, an altar, candles. There are also places where you can still see the original quarry rock behind glass. As you descend, and take a few steps to the right, you look up and see a slab of original rock, left behind because it wasn’t good enough to build with.
The stone that the builders rejected has become the most important one of all. That is so true for each one of us, on so many different levels. Jesus was rejected by the religious leaders and put to death like a common criminal or a political rebel. Yet the deep mystery is that his suffering was for our healing and forgiveness. His death and his resurrection transform everything.
When we are going through painful times, or things that happen to us don’t make sense, we look to Jesus on the cross, and pray that things will work out for us. In his death there is the promise that life and love are stronger than death and things going wrong.
The stone that the builders rejected. How often do we make quick judgments about people or situations? Let’s take a breath, slow down the rapid judgment, and take a moment to look, and to listen. Just because someone is not saying anything, it does not mean they should be ignored or downgraded. One of the key Christian values is seeing the worth in all people.
Finally, in our own life stories and in who we are. Are there parts of us that we have rejected, or pushed down? Even in the muck of things done badly, there can be flecks of gold that are worth the hard work of collecting. There can come a time when, instead of running away from what we fear, we need to choose to face it and step into it.
The stone that the builders rejected has become the most important one of all. That was true for Jesus. It is also true for us.
Lord, in this time of Good Friday and Easter, show us the precious things in our life that we haven’t yet appreciated. Amen.
