“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.
We have heard stories and sermons over the years about the Cornerstone, this mighty stone the builders rejected. Depending on my situation in life at the time of hearing one of these talks, I get a differing message. That is one of the wonderful things about the Scriptures - they speak to our heart in ways that touch us personally and right in the moment.
This portion of the Gospel of Matthew, the Parable of the Tenants, is a story of greed, disobedience and evil. I question why would the tenants, people who occupy land rented from the owner, behave in such a despicable manner? Where does their twisted way of thinking come from? What makes them think they have any more claim to the land than they originally agreed to when they contracted with the owner?
The question I ask myself is, how often do I lay claim to more than is rightfully mine? Do I go right over the top of someone to get what I want? Do I leave a trail of pain and destruction behind me? I wonder what it could have been like, had the tenants in this story worked with the landowner and his son. What a wonderful life they all could have lived had the tenants lived up to their end of the bargain. Imagine a relationship of trust and love that would result in sharing of wealth.
This sounds like a utopia, a dream world that only happens in our dreams. The Bible tells us we can have this life. We can trust our Landowner to "give us this day, or daily bread," and we can have a relationship with him that goes deep and give life. Jesus was that son in the parable and He is our Cornerstone today. We can build our lives on Him and be confident there will be a fruitful and profitable tomorrow.
Do you need a Cornerstone in your life today? Do you know someone who does? Is there a storm brewing that will challenge your foundation? All we need to do is call upon "the stone the builders rejected," for safety, for our salvation.
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