Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19:23
In today’s post Hermas sees a vision of the church as a building. In the vision, narrated by an unnamed lady, describes the different stones. Of interest to this post, notice who appears as useful or useless and why.
“Hear now about the stones that go into the building. On the one hand, the squared and white stones that fit together at the joints are the apostles, bishops, teachers, and deacons who live reverently towards God and perform their duties as bishops, teachers, and deacons for the chosen ones of God in a holy and respectful way; some of these have fallen asleep, but others are still living. And they have always been harmonious with one another and at peace with one an other, and they have listened to one an other. For this reason their joints fit together in the building of the tower.”
“But who are the ones drawn from the depths of the sea and placed into the building, who fit together at their joints with the other stones already built in it?” “These are those who have suffered on account of the name of the Lord.” “But I also want to know, Lady, who the other stones are, the ones brought from the dry land.” She said, “Those that go into the building without being hewn are ones the Lord has approved, because they walk in the uprightness of the Lord and carry out His commandments.”
“And who are the ones brought and placed in the building?” “These are those who are new in the faith and faithful. They are admonished by the angels to do good; for this reason, no evil has been found in them.” “But who are the ones who were tossed aside and cast out?” “These are those who have sinned but wish to repent. For this reason they are not cast far away from the tower, because they will be useful for the building, if they repent. And so if those who are about to repent do so, they will be strong in faith—if they re pent now while the tower is still under construction. But if the building is completed, they will no longer have a place, but will be outcasts. This alone is to their advantage, that they lie next to the tower.
“But do you want to know about the ones that are broken off and cast far from the tower? These are the children of lawlessness. For they came to faith hypocritically and no wickedness ever left them. And so they have no salvation, since, because of their wickedness, they are useless for the building. This is why they were broken off and cast far away, because of the Lord’s anger, since they aggravated Him. But with respect to the many other stones you saw lying on the ground and not coming into the building — the ones that are rough are those who know the truth but do not remain in it nor cling to the saints. This is why they are of no use.”
“But who are the ones with cracks?” “These are those who hold a grudge against one another in their hearts and have no peace among themselves. Even though they seem to be peace-loving, when they leave one another’s presence, their wickedness remains in their hearts. These are the cracks the stones have. But the ones that are broken off are those who have believed and live, for the most part, in righteousness, but also have a certain share of lawlessness. This is why they are broken off and not whole.”
“But who are the white stones, Lady, which are rounded and do not fit into the building?” She replied to me, “How long will you be foolish and ignorant, asking everything and understanding nothing? These are the ones who have faith, but also are wealthy in this age. But when affliction comes, because of their wealth and their business affairs, they deny their Lord.” And I responded to her, “And so when, Lady, will they be useful for the building?”
“When the wealth that be guiles them is cut off from them,” she said, “then they will be useful to God. For just as a round stone cannot be made square unless it has something cut off and discarded, so also with those who are rich in this age: if their wealth is not cut off from them, they cannot be useful to the Lord. You should know this above all from your own case. When you were wealthy, you were of no use; but now you are useful and helpful in life. All of you should be useful to God. For you yourself are also being taken from the same stones.”
“The Shepherd of Hermas” 13-14, III.5-6 (c. A.D. 70-140) as reported by Bart Ehrman in Lost Scriptures: Books That Did Not Make It Into The New Testament (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003) 258-259.
Those who have repented appear as useful while the lawless are described as useless. And those with wealth only appear as useful when they are cut off from their wealth. Here’s the powerful lesson. Don’t miss it.
In today’s Scripture, Jesus reports that it is hard for the rich to enter the kingdom. Why is it hard? They must let go of their riches which provide much power and security and so much more in this life.
Or in today’s reading, the wealth causes them to “deny their Lord.” This means it causes them to trust in it and by their behavior cause others to trust in it rather than putting their trust in God.
Only when their wealth is cut off from them, the lady says, can they be useful to God. Think about it. Our usefulness to God is not based on our measure of wealth but on our willingness to let it go.
Remember, Jesus cares not how much we give, but how much we hold back because of what that says about our hearts. His only teachable moment about giving related to the widow who put in everything she had.
Are you a useful or useless stone in the building of the church?