[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during December 2025]
Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them; whoever splits logs may be endangered by them.
Ecclesiastes 10 v9 [NIVUK]
At the time that these words were written those two tasks were part of the regular routine for many people. To put it in terms that are relevant to us, there is risk and potential danger even in our ordinary daily activities.
The Bible has quite a lot to say about stone and wood, in both a positive and a negative context. In the Old Testament, wood and stone were central to the worship of God; stones were often the materials used for the altars and wood was the fuel for sacrifices. At the same time it speaks of the ‘detestable images and idols of wood and stone’[1] that were frequently encountered amongst the nations surrounding the children of Israel.
The apostle Paul used characteristics such as stone and wood to describe the spiritual effectiveness of the things that we do, building on the foundation prepared by Jesus Christ.
If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is
1 Corinthians 3 v12-13 [NIVUK]
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It may come as no surprise that the initial inspiration for this reflection came whilst I was preparing firewood for the coming winter. I was cutting up an old fence which had stood up to the weather for over 25 years and contained many rusty nails.
A particular combination of wood and nails forms a central tenet of our faith. Crucifixion entails nailing the limbs of a perpetrator to a wooden cross – his entire body weight would be suspended from those nails. An old hymn asks whether, in the case of Jesus, there might have been more to it:
Was it the nails, O Saviour,
That bound Thee to the tree?
Nay, ’twas Thine everlasting love,
Thy love for me, for me. [2]
Thinking about the crucifixion reminds us of what is possibly the most well-known stone in the Bible:
They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.
Luke 24 v2 [NLT]
The displaced stone and the empty tomb indicated that the death of Jesus was not the final act but Thomas was not convinced:
Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.
John 20 v25 [NIVUK]
The response that Jesus gave to Thomas is one that can also encourage us
Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.
John 20 v29 [NIVUK]
References:
[1] Deuteronomy 29:17
[2] ‘Give me a sight, O Saviour!’ Katherine Kelly, 1869-1942
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Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © Steve Humphreys