“‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’ Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” (Luke 20:17b-18)
As I contemplate these words of Jesus, I wonder how others may feel about what He says, specifically those people who claim to rule over us or those who present themselves as ones who influence public opinion and trends in our society. They think they are essential to the prosperity of the culture and/or the nation and/or the whole world. The words that Jesus speaks ought to give them, and everyone else, pause to think about the pride they show in their own accomplishments.
Like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day, however, the self-proclaimed movers and shakers of our culture would take offense by what Jesus said. The Pharisees felt insulted and angry over what Jesus said and sought to silence and eliminate Him. They sent several of their followers to try and trap Him into saying something to incriminate Himself, yet none of their efforts succeeded. Jesus possessed wisdom and truth. His authority was above reproach. He turned the tables on the Pharisees with the parable about the tenants and the vineyard. This parable indicated that Lord had sent many prophets to Israel over the centuries who attempted to lead the people to maintain faith in Him and obey His commands. Each in turn had been rejected. The same was going to happen to Jesus, the Son of God. The very people the Lord was trying to redeem would kill Him.
Consequently those who thought themselves to be the Chosen people would find that God would reject them. They would lose their eternal inheritance all because they were proud of their heritage and works but unwillingly to admit their sinfulness and lack of love of God or man. The Lord was going to cut them out of His Kingdom and bring in others. These newcomers were the very people the Pharisees and their followers despised: Gentiles, the dregs of society, the rejected, the humble, and the oppressed. They would make up God’s Kingdom with Jesus as the cornerstone, the stone which was rejected.
Jesus did not fit in with the Pharisaical way of thinking of what the Kingdom of God was or what a Messiah should be. He is still that stone which does not fit in with what the world thinks today of who God is or should be. God in Christ Jesus extends love, mercy, and forgiveness to all. He grants faith to those people who deserve nothing, people who realize they are helpless and hopeless sinners, people the world calls “losers”. As Jesus’ followers we share share the same rejection as He did. We should feel out of place in this world for it is not our home. We are first and foremost citizens of His Kingdom.