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

 Annunciation.  Byzantine icon, 12th century.  St. Catherine's Monastery, Sinai, Egypt

"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 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 21:33-46

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 of 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."  In this parable, told to the religious leaders in the temple, my study bible explains that the landowner represents God the Father, and the vineyard refers to God's people, called Israel.  The vinedressers are the religious leaders who were entrusted to care for the people.  Each servant sent by the landowner stands for an Old Testament prophet who comes to call people back to God.  The son is Christ.  When the son  is cast out of the vineyard and killed, the parable is understood on two levels.  First, Jesus was killed on Golgotha, which was outside the city walls at that time in Jerusalem.  Second, Jesus was crucified by foreign soldiers, and not those of His own vineyard.  The other vinedressers to whom the vineyard will be leased in the future are the Gentiles brought into the Church.  Let us note that by their own response to Jesus' parable, the religious leaders yet again convict themselves (as in yesterday's reading, above, and their response to  the parable of the Two Sons).

Jesus said to them, "Have you never read 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.  This stone is Christ.  My study bible cites St. John Chrysostom, who explains that this saying illustrates the two ways of destruction.  Those who fall on the stone are people who suffer the consequences of their sins while they are still in this life.  But those upon whom the stone falls are the unrepentant who suffer destruction in the final judgment.  Note that the leaders respond characteristically, with their fear of the crowds, similarly to their fear of replying in front of the crowd to Jesus' question about John the Baptist (whom the crowds also considered a prophet) in yesterday's reading, above.  Jesus quotes from Psalm 118:22-23.

In telling this parable, Jesus illustrates something that is found many times in the Bible.  It's illustrated, perhaps most eloquently, in Mary's song, at the time of the Annunciation by the Archangel Gabriel.  When Mary accepts the role that God has chosen for her, she sings:

"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever."  (Luke 1:46-55)

This song of Mary encapsulates the action of God as always-surprising, turning over life to reveal changes that are monumental and magnificent.  Mary calls herself lowly, but in truth she is blessed, and all generations will call her so.  God's strength scatters those who are proud in the imagination of their hearts, puts down the mighty from their thrones, and exalts the lowly.  God fills the hungry with good things, while the rich are sent away empty.  This is Mary's understanding, and it echoes other songs of the Bible, other stories, other works of God which have been revealed and given to us.  But Jesus' parable today, of the vineyard that is owned by God, and that will be taken away from those who have mismanaged it and abused the people of God, is the greatest promise of change and transition from the strong arm of God, and which embraces those who fear God, know God's mercy, who are humble and lowly before God; that is, the poor in spirit.  Jesus illustrates His parable with the servants repeatedly sent, who suffer and die for the sake of the true landowner and the landowner's message, who call the vinedressers back to what is right and true, and who are rejected.  The son, of course, is Christ, and He will be cast out and killed, treated as the least of these, and like John the Baptist, the last and greatest of the prophets, they will "do to him whatever they wish" (17:12).  And yet, Jesus speaks of the stone rejected by the builders, which will not only be chosen and selected, but the chief cornerstone.  He is the stone which may be a stumbling block, and break some; but for those upon whom that stone falls, there is only oblivion, a blotting out of life.  It is a warning to them all of the power that truly rests with the One whom they plot against and reject, and we all should take these words seriously.  That power remains within our world, whether it is obviously seen or not.  There remains the reality of justice and truth -- even when ignored and abused.  There remains the reality of our souls and what is best for them, what feeds them when we are hungry for good things.  There is a kind of righteousness that compasses both mercy and justice, even if human beings do not choose that path.  In the long run, it is this stone that will have its rule and its say, that governs the length of our lives.  The wisdom that lives through the ages does not disappear, even if, when every generation comes of age, there is always that worldly sense of life that dictates that power and might and material gain rule the day.  But life does not really work that way:  not always in the short run and certainly not in the long view of things.  Those wisest and experienced among us may echo the words of St. John Chrysostom, that it is indeed a blessed thing to be broken and know it, because that gives us an opportunity to put things back into place and rectify our lives with the grace and help of a merciful and strong-armed God.  Let us consider our humility as we await this light of Christ's birth.  His is the stone that matters, and the long game is the one upon which we keep ourselves focused.  Mary sings at the announcement of His Nativity, and we continue to celebrate, despite "the world's" conviction that all that matters is material, and not the things we don't see simply with material sight.  We are reminded of Jesus' warnings about the blind who lead the blind.   Let us instead choose to be illumined by the light that we commemorate shortly.