Jesus has been referred to as a “living stone” and his followers as “living stones”. This is in pursuance of the quotation given by Isaiah. The term “living stones” was used as metaphor for showing the intimate and secure relationship which followers and believers have with Jesus. The verses that speak of Jesus as the living stone and his followers as the living stones are then joined by God. According to the Bible, Jesus had been rejected by men; however, God had chosen him because he was precious to him.
Jesus is the cornerstone of God’s building and God will not accept anyone who is not willing to become part of His building. God is like any other builder because he has created a foundation on which the others must build. In the original, this “cornerstone” refers to a figure of justice. The right lines for any building are always derived from a proper cornerstone that is first laid down. In a similar manner, God established justice in order that Judeans can understand whether their own actions are “within the lines”.
Every church is referred to as house of God where people gather together as a family of faith. Jesus is worshipped in a church and the word “church” does not simply refer to the building that Christians worship in but also the name by which these worshippers call themselves. So, Jesus’ worshippers are “God’s building” or “God’s temple” that has been founded on the cornerstone of Jesus and foundation of the twelve apostles. The apostles and their successors or bishops are referred to as skilled master builders, where each is a “living stone”.
Builders of cathedrals have ever seen Jesus but their mission is to work with his grace, to build on foundations which have been set by predecessors. They have heard Jesus’s gospel and these have come to them vis-à-vis the living stones. The apostles had spread the faith all across Asia and Europe with missionaries traveling to the New World and Mexico. So, the living stones continue to follow the gospel and work relentlessly to build on foundations that Jesus laid. The Church wants everyone to be a living stone to continue playing his part; to participate in our world’s redemption.