MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
“For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.)
Hebrews 3:3-4 ESV
JESUS IS BUILDING A FAMILY
On April 18th, 1923, the first day of the new baseball season, the gates of Yankee Stadium were opened and 74,200 people flooded through the turnstiles, while another 25,000 were turned away – an amazing number, given that the previous attendance record for a single game was 42,000 for the 1916 World Series in Boston. In an ironic twist, the first game was fittingly played against the Boston Red Sox, Babe Ruth’s former team. Even more fitting was that Babe Ruth hit the first home run in the stadium on the opening day of the new ballpark – a three-run homerun, giving the Yankees the 4-1 win. As a response to Babe’s opening day home run, sports writer Fred Lieb referred to Yankee Stadium in his column as “The House That Ruth Built”. It was a nickname that quickly stuck. Given Babe’s great ability to draw a crowd, this reference to Yankee Stadium became a regular term. (baberuthcentral.com)
The author of Hebrews is explaining that Christians are the “house” that Jesus built. “House” is used seven times in this paragraph. “House” in Hebrews 3 means “household” and refers to people, not a building. The building is never the sacred place but God’s people are what is sacred. The word “built” in the Hebrew language means that everything is ready, fully equipped and in place. Jesus is making us everything He created us to be.
Ephesians 2:19 says, “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household.” People who repent and place their faith in Jesus are considered part of that family. Jesus came to build God’s family. When you think about the building analogy, where are you in God’s building process? Is Christianity brand new to you? Is God laying the foundation in your spiritual life? Are you far along in the building process? Is God working on some of the decorating details on the inside? Or maybe you have come through some storms and it’s a time of rebuilding. Regardless of where you are, ask God what He wants to work on next in your spiritual life.
