The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone

 Then they came again to Jerusalem.  And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.  And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority to do these things?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?  Answer Me."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men'" -- they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.  So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

Then He began to speak to them in parables:  "A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country  Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers.  And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.  And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.  Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.'   But those vinedressers said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'  So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.  Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do?  He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.  Have you not even read this Scripture:

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

And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them.  So they left Him and went away. 

- Mark 11:27-12:12

Yesterday we read that the next day after the Triumphal Entry, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.  And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it.  When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."  And His disciples heard it.  So they came to Jerusalem.  Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.   Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'?  But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.  When evening had come, He went out of the city.  Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.  And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look!  The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."  So Jesus answered and said to the, "Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.  And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.  But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."

 Then they came again to Jerusalem.  And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.  And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority to do these things?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?  Answer Me."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men'" -- they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.  So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."  Jesus is challenged as to His authority to cleanse the temple; that is, to drive out the commercial dealers and vendors from the temple, the money changers and those who sold animals (see yesterday's reading, above).  My study bible notes Jesus' technique of argument with these people; He is careful not to reveal Himself to scoffers, to those who will simply attempt to belittle or deny whatever truth He is telling them.  Instead He confounds them with a different question about John.  Both the question of the elders and also Christ's question require the same answer; therefore it would lead the respondent to confess that Jesus has come from heaven.  My study bible adds that by not answering them directly, Christ teaches us not to answer people who come asking about holy things with a malicious intent.

 Then He began to speak to them in parables:  "A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country  Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers.  And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.  And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.  Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.'   But those vinedressers said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'  So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.  Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do?  He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.  Have you not even read this Scripture:  'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.  This was the LORD'S doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?"  And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them.  So they left Him and went away. In this parable, the man who planted the vineyard represents God the Father.  The vineyard itself is God's people.  The vinedressers are those who are entrusted to care for the people, the religious leadership.  Every servant who is sent by the owner represents a prophet of the Old Testament, who comes to call people back to God.  The son, the owner's beloved, is Christ Himself.  The vinedressers killed the son and cast him out of the vineyard, inferring that the story of the Son will go to others to whom the vineyard will be given; these are are the Gentiles brought into the Church.  Jesus quotes from Psalm 118:22-23, a psalm which tells of the overthrow of hostile superior force through God's help.

We should keep in mind that Jesus knows that He will be crucified while He is speaking to these men.  He knows they will be plotting against Him, and even that they will use the power of the Roman state to do so.   But nevertheless Jesus acts with His own full authority, and in debating with these men, He gives away nothing of His authority, but instead acts in accordance with the truths He embodies.  Elsewhere, in the Sermon on the Mount, He teaches, "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces" (Matthew 7:6).  This teaching is given in the context of useful corrections within the Church, and He makes Himself clear as to whether or not a teaching is useful.  While these religious leaders in the temple -- the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders -- cannot be called dogs nor swine, they nevertheless have so much contempt for Christ that they will not truly listen to what He has to teach.  There is no point in casting His pearls of wisdom before them, revealing His true identity, for they wish to destroy Him.  They see Him as competition, a threat to their positions.  While what is important to Christ is not Himself, per se, it is the truth He is here to reveal and give to us that matters:  "Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come" - Matthew 12:32.  The truth He is here to give, including that of His own identity, is real, it matters.  It is a substance deeply necessary for the healing and salvation of the world, and necessary also so that a final reconciliation and dispensation can be made, so that Judgment can take place.  This is one key to why important spiritual truths are not revealed to scoffers:  their rejection will endanger themselves spiritually.  In this case, these men are those who are the most prepared to accept and to recognize Christ.  They are the experts in Scripture, they know thoroughly the spiritual history of Israel and therefore the work of the Holy Spirit.  Their rejection is therefore all the more profound, and in this case Christ chooses His response, knowing what is going to happen at the end of the week.  He will not relinquish His truth, but that means He will not simply hand these men the answers they demand.  I would also suggest that His answer is designed, yet again, to make them think, and to remind them of the danger they court through rejection of Christ.  Truly, the parable reveals this explicitly to them, but they respond only with outrage.  There are times in our own lives when we may be in such a position:  we are telling the truth, but others who surround us are ready to condemn.  In this case, Christ's ultimate dignity -- which is really a form of standing in truth -- remains as our teaching.  Let us endeavor to remain humble as He does, rooted in the truths that God gives us, and also the demeanor we are commanded to bear, as we face the reality of our lives and accept the cup God gives us in faith.  What is important to Jesus is not His own interest in a selfish sense, but to bear the responsibility for the work of the Kingdom that must go into the world, a higher truth, a bigger plan.