The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes

 "Hear another parable:  There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.  Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'  So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?"  They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."

Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:

'The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the LORD's doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes'?

Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."

Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.

- Matthew 21:33-45

In our current readings, Jesus is in Jerusalem and it is the beginning of the Passion week.  We read about His Triumphal Entry and the cleansing of the temple.  Yesterday, we read that when Jesus came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- where was it from?  From heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet."  So they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know."  And He said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.  But what do you think?  A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.'  He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went.  Then he came to the second and said likewise.  And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' but he did not go.  Which if the two did the will of his father?"  They said to Him, "The first."  Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.  For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him."

 "Hear another parable:  There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.  Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'  So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?"  They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."   My study bible says here that God the Father is the landowner who planted a vineyard.  The tenant vinedressers are the religious leaders entrusted with the care of God's people.  The landowner's servants are the prophets, sent by God to proclaim His word.  For instead of tending the vineyard, the vinedressers had devoured it.  Although they were obstinate toward His servants, God sent His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, whom they might honor.  But in their greed and impiety they murdered the Son as well."

Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:  'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.  This was the LORD's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?  Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.  My study bible tells us that the nation bearing the fruits of the Kingdom is the Church, the new people of God.  For references to Jesus' quotation see both Psalm 118, and also Isaiah 28.

Jesus makes a stand in Jerusalem, first by cleansing the temple,  and then by confronting the leadership even in the style of their own questioning -- which He points back at them (see yesterday's reading).  Here, He goes one step further in today's reading, by initiating the parable of the wicked vinedressers, and the vineyard owner's response to their treatment of his servants and his son.  To tend the vineyard is to be in charge of something, to be entrusted with the care of something, and in this the leadership has clearly failed, according to the parable, because of greed and lust for position:  they want it all for themselves.  They think of this vineyard not as something to tend, but to exploit and to control, and a means by which to steal from others.  It's an important teaching on stewardship:  what it is, and what it isn't.   To tend to the world, which is, after all, a gift of God, to tend to the flock, another gift of God, is to steward, not to own.  This is where the leadership has failed, merely guarding their own position zealously so that what matters is law and rule and custom and not the love of God.  All this zealousness is a mask that disguises hearts that are far away from God's purposes.  That's not to say that rule and custom and the Law are not valuable and important; it's just the use of such for different purposes and ends that tells the story.  Yesterday, the leadership asked Jesus by what authority He cleansed the temple.  The substance of His ministry isn't examined here, isn't looked at.  They can't see the Father or Spirit at work in His ministry and in His "good works" that He's done.  All they focus on is His authority.  By the same token, what's truly good for the flock doesn't appear here to be a motivator, otherwise the good things of this ministry would be appreciated.  What's clearly implied here is that a love of God the Father would prohibit abusive behavior:  in the parable, that means abuse of God's servants, the prophets before Christ who have all suffered, and the Son Himself, whom they will plot to kill, out of greed and envy.  Clearly Jesus is setting up a story, His side of what is happening here, and teaching His awareness of what is in them and what they will do.  He has accepted what He is to face, and is accepting it with all the vigor and truth of His ministry, His Person, and the essence of what He is here for -- to liberate others.  He knows what the outcome will be, what He is facing, but there is not a single moment wasted to teach and to minister to the flock, to express His tremendous authority, and His freedom.  He is in charge of every situation, as He is, indeed, the cornerstone in the psalm, who will also surely turn the tables via Judgment.  Let us remember Jesus' confidence in the love of the Father, God's love that teaches us who we are and to stand in that truth through all things.  It is in the confidence of God's love, so immeasurable that it can't be "earned" or "deserved" that one finds one's way -- and it is precisely this that the wicked vinedressers are missing.  This is the stone the builders rejected, the chief cornerstone of faith, the word that He brings.